GREELEY — A psychologist testifying in the first-degree murder trial of an Iraq war veteran said the man suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Ricardo Cortez, 25, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of his 21-year-old estranged, pregnant wife, Nikki Fix-Cortez. Prosecutors accuse Cortez of killing her Sept. 16, 2007, with a shotgun because she was leaving him.
Psychologist James Waters, who is in private practice in Boulder, testified Friday that Cortez has post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from a number of issues, including being molested by his father and serving as a medic for two tours of duty in Iraq.
The testimony was countered by Jose Vega, a psychologist with the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo. Vega interviewed Cortez in September as part of a court-ordered mental health evaluation.
Vega told jurors that some results of tests administered to Cortez indicated that Cortez exaggerated symptoms so much that they should be considered invalid.
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Information from: Greeley Daily Tribune,
