Confession of accused killer thrown out

NEW ORLEANS, July 23 (UPI) -- The confession of a New Orleans man who is on trial for the death of his parents has been thrown out by the judge overseeing the case.

Before confessing to brutally beating his parents to death in 2009, Michael Singreen waived his Miranda rights, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported Monday.

"I don't give a [expletive]. What the hell," Singreen told police before they began interrogating him.

Defense lawyers said because of Singreen's flippant comment, coupled with a history of mental health issues, he couldn't have knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently waived his rights before confessing to police.

Singreen had been in and out of mental health facilities and had been being released from one just 12 days before the deaths of his parents, Shirley and Harry Singreen.

In April, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Richard Richoux said Singreen was "actively psychotic and delusional and also most likely manic" at the time of the crimes.

"For someone to reasonably, rationally waive their rights, they have to care. ... Basically he really didn't care what the consequences were," Richoux said.

Criminal District Court Judge Laurie White agreed.

Singreen "did not display the appropriate level of self-care and preservation in admitting to an alleged crime of such brutality," White wrote in her ruling. "While this court finds that the 'knowledge' element of Mr. Singreen's waiver was present, it does not find that the 'intelligent' element was present when he waived his Miranda rights."

The district attorney's office has 30 days to appeal the decision.

No trial date has been set.