Questions Arise Concerning Suspected Aiken Public Safety Officer Killer's Behavior in Court

After a bizarre courtroom appearance Monday by 26-year-old Joshua Tremaine Jones, many people are wondering if the behavior of the man accused of shooting and killing Aiken Department of Public Safety Master Corporal Sandra Rogers was the result of a mental condition, or an act.

Many of our viewers were asking that question on our WJBF News Channel 6 Facebook page...like Sandra. She says, "He knows how to play the system with his "mental" condition!"

Julie says, "I hope they won't use the insanity plea for this man..he knows and understands what he did and so does his father."

Amie adds, “I think he is pretending to be insane...preparing for his insanity."

Between the scowling, the shaking, the cursing…Jones, in court: "Does it look like it? God Damn it.”

Suspected cop killer Joshua Jones' behavior in court Monday has the online community asking: real or fake? We brought the video and the question to Dr. Hany Elia. She is the Medical Director at Serenity Behavioral Health Systems.

Jillian Benfield Reporting: "Is it possible to fake insanity?" Dr. Elia: “It is possible to fake insanity, yes."

Dr. Elia says he would have no way of determining whether Jones was faking mental condition from just watching this video, but this clip struck him as odd:

Judge: "Do you understand the charges against you?" Joshua Jones: "Yes."

Dr. Elia: “A lot of times, with patients who are psychotic, they are not able to focus, they might have a little bit of delay when they respond. With him, he's able to respond to the questions right away.”

According to an incident report, Jones tried to commit suicide just a few months ago. He was on anti-depressants, according to his father.

Benfield: "Would anti-depressants cause those movements?" Dr. Elia: "No, highly unlikely."

Attorney Ben Allen says, if Jones were to enter an insanity plea, his previous health record would be a factor. "You're really going to have to show that prior to the event, this person had mental issues," he said.

Allen says psychiatrists have to determine two things if a suspect can plead insanity: That he or she did not know right from wrong at the time of the crime, and does not know right or wrong during the trial process.

"This is very difficult. This is not something you'd see in the normal course of most trials," said Allen.

Jones' next court date is March 9th.