WARWICK – Michael Soares fervently believed his life was in danger. Someone was out to kill him.

His schizophrenia also fed thoughts about vampires and about magical things that might happen if he defended not just himself but the world.

These were the thoughts that coursed through Soares’ mind as a jogger ran toward him in Warwick City Park in 2013, according to Dr. Patricia Recupero.

Recupero, a forensic psychiatrist, reflected on on her evaluation of Soares when she testified Wednesday at the 37-year-old’s trial in Superior Court, Warwick.

Facing a charge of first-degree murder, Soares is accused of bludgeoning to death John “Jack” Fay as the retired postal worker ran in the park on May 17, 2013.

Fay’s brother, sister in law, children and some other relatives have traveled from afar, mostly from Olympia, Washington, for the trial. Superior Court Judge Luis M. Matos will decide the case from the bench.

Recupero’s testimony Wednesday afternoon was presented at the request of the defense.

Prior to Recupero’s appearance on the stand, Soares had changed his plea from not guilty to not guilty by reason of insanity.

Difficult case resorted to use of DNA collected for genealogy

Fay’s killing, early in the morning, challenged investigators for years.

They believed the suspected killer had left DNA traces of himself on Fay’s body and on a hammer, but they hadn’t been able to find that suspect.

Detectives then worked with forensic experts who compared the DNA profiles to collections of DNA that were developed for the purposes of genealogical research.

A distant cousin of the suspect had submitted her DNA for testing. The investigation eventually narrowed the search down to Soares.

He matched the background – Portuguese and Middle Eastern lineage – of the DNA found at the scene. After that, DNA swabs from Soares himself matched DNA found at the scene.

He was arrested in February 2019.

Recupero testified that she reviewed law-enforcement records as well as Soares’ medical records to assemble her own 38-page evaluation of the defendant.

Those records came from treatments that Soares received at Kent Hospital, in conjunction with Butler Hospital, in 2009. They also stemmed from a situation in 2014 in which Soares sought help at Kent Hospital and from his experiences at the Providence Center.

Soares ‘tried his best’ to describe his actions, psychiatrist testifies

She also talked to him in person.

Soares, a high school and college graduate with an engineering degree, wrote a book during the six years that transpired between the homicide and his capture in 2019, she testified.

He “tried his best” to tell her what had happened, including at the time of the killing in the park in 2013, but he had trouble with his dates and his sequencing, Recupero said.

She qualified her medical assessments of Soares as “to a reasonable degree of medical certainty.”

Soares had been unable to hold a job, she said, adding that he spent a lot of time in his truck.

He recognized that killing someone was wrong, but he felt that under the circumstances it was “morally right” to protect himself and achieve “peace for the world,” she said.

Soares’ fears had led him to acquire a hammer and a knife, but his actions in the park were spontaneous and committed without planning, she said.

The trial is set to resume Thursday morning.