<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">DERIDDER — A DeRidder man who fatally stabbed his 4-year-old nephew may have exaggerated his symptoms in interviews conducted after the slaying, a psychologist said Tuesday in 36th Judicial District Court.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Forensic psychologist Charles Vosburg said he declared John W. Hatfield III competent to stand trial because he saw inconsistencies in Hatfield’s symptoms from before and after the stabbing of Tanner Bailey in December 2012.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“He presented symptoms immediately after the incident and in my own evaluation of him that I did not see in his previous medical history,” Vosburg said. “He does have problems. He does need medical treatment, but he also has exaggerated symptoms.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Vosburg said Hatfield’s fears that Bailey was going to fly and bite him on the neck, as well as his insisting that God was telling him through Scriptures and voices to stab the child, are symptoms that don’t typically accompany the diagnosis of schizo-affective disorder that Hatfield has.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“You would see that more in substance abuse or methamphetamine use,” he said.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Hatfield’s records contained notes of past substance abuse, including marijuana and methamphetamine, but toxicology results show no drugs were in Hatfield’s system when he stabbed Bailey.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Vosburg said Hatfield may have exaggerated his symptoms in an attempt to manipulate his placement. He referred to an April 2013 interview between Hatfield and Bailey’s mother, Kourtney Hatfield, in which he told his sister he was entering his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity because he “would never make it in jail” and wanted to be in a hospital.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">During defense cross-examination, David Wallace referred to the trial of DeRidder man Joel Bailey, who was convicted of the first-degree murder of his father and the attempted first-degree murder of his mother in 2011. Bailey shot his parents as they slept and then tossed the gun into Bundick Lake before fleeing to Mississippi, where he was found days later hiding under a bridge. Wallace said Vosburg had evaluated Bailey before his trial and ruled him insane.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“In your records you indicated that sometimes individuals suffering from schizophrenia can hide their symptoms so that they can be more accepted in society,” Wallace said. “Do you believe Mr. Hatfield could be doing that?”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Vosburg said he didn’t believe Hatfield had hidden more severe symptoms.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The trial will continue at 9:30 a.m. today.</span>