Phillip Garrido's attorney filed court papers late Wednesday in Garrido's kidnapping-rape trial that cite "signs of serious mental illness" and say he has "been hearing the voices of angels for years."
The statements, contained in filings made by public defender Susan Gellman, come in advance of Friday's hearing over whether Garrido can have contact with his wife, Nancy, in the El Dorado County jail to prepare their defense and discuss family matters.
The couple are accused of kidnapping Jaycee Lee Dugard in 1991, when she was an 11-year-old heading out to school, and holding her captive in their Antioch-area home for 18 years. Prosecutors say she bore two daughters to Phillip Garrido while living as his prisoner.
The Garridos have pleaded not guilty in the case.
The filing appears to lay the groundwork for a mental health defense for Garrido, who according to his attorney prepared an elaborate manifesto in the weeks leading up to his arrest last August.
"In the document, Mr. Garrido outlines his ability to control sound with his mind and his gift of being able to speak with the tongues of angels," the court filing states.
"He then proceeded to take his manifesto from law enforcement agency to law enforcement agency, calling attention to himself in a way that could (and ultimately did) lead to his arrest. These are the acts of someone suffering from a serious mental illness."
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