Psychologist says Joliet casino murder defendant can understand criminality of his actions

A psychologist called by prosecutors said a man charged with a 2019 murder at Harrah’s casino was able to understand the criminality of his conduct in the incident.

Wednesday was dedicated to the testimony of psychologist Anna Stapleton in the trial of Robert Watson, 29, who’s charged with fatally stabbing Emanuel Burgarino, 76, on March 24, 2019, on the fifth floor of the Harrah’s casino hotel in Joliet.

Stapleton was called by prosecutors to testify in the trial in response to Watson’s attorneys bringing in psychiatrist Monica Argumedo, who said Watson has schizophrenia. Argumedo was not able to conclude whether he was sane or insane at the time Burgarino was killed.

Stapleton testified that in her clinical and professional opinion, Watson was able to appreciate and understand the criminality of his conduct in the killing of Burgarino. She said she reviewed hospital records, police reports, videos, photos and evidence from the Joliet Police Department.

Stapleton said the issue of Watson’s sanity did not boil down to whether he had a mental illness. She said she based her opinion on Watson’s ability to think, judge, have awareness and other factors before, during and after the incident that led to Burgarino’s slaying.

Prosecutors played video footage from Harrah’s casino that showed Watson in the stairwell of the building. Stapleton said Watson’s demeanor was calm while he explored the property and took possession of gloves that were recovered as evidence by police.

“That shows me that there’s evidence of planning,” Stapleton said.

Stapleton also noted in another video that Watson wasn’t “acting erratic” when he shared an elevator with Glenn Hill, a guest at the hotel who said he saw Watson attack Burgarino.

After Hill caught Watson striking Burgarino, Watson fled the scene instead of staying, exited through the stairwell instead of the elevator, covered his face with his hoodie in the stairwell and then ran from the casino without looking back, Stapleton said.

Stapleton said all of those behaviors suggested Watson was trying to avoid apprehension by the police.

During Stapleton’s testimony, Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Tom Slazyk went over hospital records on Watson that revealed he was not diagnosed with schizophrenia during his stays at a hospital in 2013 and several other hospitals in 2019.

In one of those visits, Watson was admitted for threatening suicide but he was reportedly under the influence of marijuana and there was no indication he was suffering from psychosis, according to the records Slayzk read to Stapleton.

Stapleton said Watson was malingering, or either faking or exaggerating his symptoms, and that he also had substance use disorder and antisocial personality disorder.