News and Headlines

Actions

Man accused of killing two may blame cough syrup

Posted
and last updated

SEATTLE -- Attorneys for a doctor charged with aggravated murder may argue that their client was suffering from cough-syrup induced psychosis, which led him to kill his partner and toddler son in 2011.

The Seattle Times reports (http://is.gd/2LrHYA ) that 43-year-old Dr. Louis Chen is accused of fatally stabbing 29-year-old Eric Cooper and 2-year-old Cooper Chen, whose bodies were found inside the couple's Seattle apartment.

PREVIOUS | Bloomington mom says she shot husband in self-defense

Chen's defense team had previously indicated it would pursue an insanity or diminished capacity defense. But a motion filed in October suggests Chen had a buildup of dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medicines, in his system. The motion argues that the drug metabolized slowly in Chen, who is Taiwanese, due to his genetic makeup.

Chen goes to trial in April.

----

Download the new and improved RTV6 app to get the latest news on the go and receive alerts to your phone

Sign up to have the latest news headlines delivered straight to your email inbox