I read the account of the Christien Nielsen trial, and I do not understand why the family was brought before him for a confrontation.

Why does the public expect remorse from someone who is obviously brain damaged? Violent offenders such as serial killers have a known pathology. The mystery around this behavior is begining to lift, because of a glut of research on this popular subject. There are studies now that show many violent offenders actually have undiagnosed brain trauma from early childhood.

The idea that someone who is trying to annihilate himself through starvation has any capacity or comprehension of remorse is just illogical. Serial killers are human beings, but they are severely damaged, and they can never be released to the public for any reason.

Discussing their character or “guilt,” or using words such as “evil,” is a waste of energy. Killing these people is simple revenge; what satisfaction can one get out of killing someone who is deranged?

The lesson to take away from this is society has to protect itself from predation by spotting this illness early in life.

Thinking in biblical terms of good and evil, guilt and remorse, is not going to stop those murders from happening.

Kevin Callahan, Lewiston