Psych Ops

Cornerstone Security Group demands psychological evaluation of Freddy Nelson, Jr.’s widow

A motion was filed Monday in the wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of Freddy Nelson, Jr., demanding that Kari Nelson — who was a witness to her husband’s horrific shooting — be subjected to a psychological examination “to evaluate the merits of her claim” of negligent infliction of emotional distress.

The motion was filed by the officers of Cornerstone Security Group, whose employee, Logan Gimbel, was convicted of Nelson’s second-degree murder. It was recently reported that Cornerstone had circulated a policy memo just a few months before the shooting, advising guards to “have a plan to kill everyone” they met while on patrol.

Cornerstone’s filing stated that “[Kari Nelson] has placed her psychological state in controversy” by alleging “ongoing emotional damage related to this incident.”

The defendants have apparently lined up psychologist Michelle Guyton to conduct the examination. Dr. Guyton was a controversial expert witness for PacifiCorp in the lawsuit over the 2020 Labor Day forest fires.

In that trial, Guyton tried to diminish the testimony of survivors by claiming that prior to the fire, some were already suffering from depression and anxiety, or had trauma due to unrelated, previous events. Guyton even testified that some of the victims’ mental health improved after the fires.

Her testimony did not go over well.

Since jurors in Nelson’s wrongful death trial will certainly be required to watch the bodycam footage of his murder — and listen to Kari Nelson’s desperate, haunting cries — it is improbable that Dr. Guyton’s testimony will do anything except add some extra zeroes to the jury award.

Really, how on earth could a licensed professional try to spin this, no matter what kind of fee they’re being paid?