The Minds of Billy Milligan

The prosecution accepted Dr. Harding’s report as extremely thorough and detailed, and Judge Flowers ruled that Milligan was competent to stand trial. The trial was set for December 4, 1978, and Schweikart requested that Milligan be tried based on law that existed at the time of the crimes, thus placing the burden of proof on the prosecution to establish sanity. In addition, Schweikart intended to waive a jury trial and ask Judge Flowers to hear the case.

Milligan became increasingly despondent while in Franklin County Jail awaiting trial. Ragen emerged again, sensing danger, and the guards were alarmed. When Schweikart and Stevenson met with Milligan, Arthur emerged and explained that Billy was never completely fused; Arthur and Ragen always stood apart, and the latter became dominant once Milligan was back in jail. Arthur asserted that Billy was fused enough to stand trial but would defuse again if he wasn’t moved to a hospital before the trial. Upon an examination ordered by Judge Flowers, Milligan was immediately moved to Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital.

Schweikart and Stevenson began looking for an alternative treatment location to Lima for Milligan following the trial, as they were confident he would be found not guilty. A new law coming into effect before the trial date required that individuals found not guilty by reason of insanity be treated as patients rather than criminals and sent to “the least restrictive environment consistent with safety to [themselves] and others” (103). This fell under the jurisdiction of the probate court.

On Dr. Wilbur’s recommendation, Stevenson contacted Dr. David Caul, the medical director at the Athens facility. Dr. Caul agreed to attend a pretrial meeting with Probate Judge Richard B. Metcalf. Dr. Caul was amazed to find that the prosecution and defense appeared to agree that Milligan had committed crimes and that he had “multiple personality disorder.” He was poised to become the first person declared not guilty by reason of insanity because of the illness. Dr. Caul agreed to take him in for treatment.

On December 4, the temporarily fused Billy was taken to court, where he was swarmed by reporters, and Schweikart came to his defense. In the courtroom, both the prosecution and defense agreed not to call witnesses or put Milligan on the stand; instead, the facts of the case were read into the record, as agreed upon by both sides. Judge Flowers declared Milligan not guilty by reason of insanity and handed over authority to the probate court. Judge Metcalf reviewed the recommendations of all the psychiatrists who had examined Milligan and ordered that he be placed in the Athens facility under Dr. Caul.

On the way to the facility, Billy wondered whether the place would be safe and remembered that because of his parole violation, he was headed back to prison once he was “cured.” The vehicle passed through Lancaster, where Billy had lived as a child, which triggered his memories, and Billy went to sleep again, while Danny, confused and frightened, emerged.

Dr. Caul received Danny at the Athens facility. When he later met Billy, the doctor reminded him that he was not a prisoner but a patient; his progress depended on whether he wanted to get better and was willing to work toward it. Later the same day, the papers ran a story on Milligan’s transfer to Athens. They also ran a sworn statement from Chalmer and his attorney, denying that he had abused Milligan and calling Milligan a “habitual liar.”

During the first therapy session, Dr. Caul spoke to Arthur, who explained the personalities and purposes of the other alters. Dr. Caul asked Arthur if there were more alters than the 10 that had been revealed, at which point Arthur disappeared and Billy reappeared. Billy’s last memory was of being taken away from the court in handcuffs; he didn’t remember things clearly, especially when Arthur and Ragen were missing. Dr. Caul encouraged Billy to listen to Arthur, whom Dr. Caul termed Billy’s “inner self helper” (120), an alter often found in those with “multiple personality disorder” who functions as the rational self, in control of emotions, and is thus helpful in therapy. The intelligent and moral Arthur, motivated to help Billy recover, fit the bill.

Billy was nervous about a visit from his mother, Dorothy, and his sister, Kathy; his last memories of them were from when he was 16, shortly before he tried to jump from the school’s roof. He was surprised to see how much they had both aged. Dorothy claimed that she always knew there were two of Billy: “[her] Billy and that other one” (122). She had tried to tell the doctors and lawyer who worked with Billy before he was placed at the Lebanon Correctional Institution that Billy needed help, but none of them would listen. She also asserted that she didn’t know about Chalmer’s abuse but would have stepped in if she had.

Billy spent his time at the Athens facility jogging, watching TV, going to therapy, and making art to sell. His life generated intense interest, and on Dr. Caul’s suggestion, he agreed to meet with a writer who would document his life story. Billy knew he could use the money, and he wanted to spread awareness about the effects of child abuse. On Dr. Caul’s suggestion, Billy, Arthur, and Ragen also met with local reporters; Dr. Caul thought it was important that Milligan establish a good relationship with the media to help the locals understand his illness and see that he was not violent or dangerous.

Arthur decided that Allen should be the one to meet with the writer first, and when Allen did, he was initially underwhelmed. He asked to read something the writer had written, and the writer gave him a novel that had been turned into a movie. After Arthur, Allen, and Billy took turns reading the book, they decided that the writer was the right person to write about them. Billy engaged a new lawyer to represent him on the book deal and handle the contract signing with the writer and a publisher. Billy finally met the writer himself, explaining that Allen was the one who met him the first time. Billy began opening up about creating the alters because of Chalmer’s abuse. The writer was amazed that Billy survived any of it, and Billy asserted that in retrospect his arrest was what rescued him.

The writer met Billy the day after Christmas, expecting him to be upset because he spent the holiday at the hospital after his request for a brief furlough to spend it with his family was denied. Billy revealed to the writer that he had been losing time again and hearing unfamiliar names, like “Kevin” and “Phillip” inside his head. The writer recalled that news articles on Milligan’s case had pointed out some discrepancies and wondered about the possibility of more, undiscovered alters.

Milligan arrived at Dr. Caul’s office, introducing himself as Phillip, and handed Dr. Caul a sheet of paper with a list of 24 names, the last of which was “The Teacher.” Dr. Caul videotaped the next session with Milligan. During this session, Ragen appeared and revealed the existence of the “undesirables.” Arthur had wanted to keep them secret but was losing dominance, and the undesirables had decided to reveal themselves to Dr. Caul.

In addition, Ragen explained that the different alters would be solidified into one, erasing the amnesia; what would emerge then was the Teacher, who was “Billy all in one piece” (138). Unbeknownst to Billy, he was a child prodigy when he was young; this enabled him to accumulate the different skills that his alters possessed. However, Billy was unaware of this, and Ragen asserted that if Billy learned that he wasn’t separate from the Teacher, it would “destroy” him.

During the next session, however, Ragen reported that he and Arthur had decided that it was necessary for Billy to learn about all his alters, including the truth about the Teacher. Accordingly, Dr. Caul showed Billy the videotape of the previous session, and Billy was shaken to see the different alters emerge and to learn that he was the one with “the intelligence, the artistic talent, the strength, the escape-artist abilities” (140).

After the session ended, Billy contemplated what it would be like for all 24 alters to fuse, and he felt all of them emerge and interlock. He suddenly understood that he had not completely fused before because he was unaware of all the alters; now, all his memories come flooding back. When Dr. Caul next met with Milligan, he realized that he was speaking to the Teacher. The Teacher asserted that he remembered everything that ever happened to Milligan, and Dr. Caul welcomed the Teacher’s arrival, asserting they had much to learn.