Husband Refuses to Help Stacey Pagli Defense

Stacey Pagli, who is accused of murdering her daughter on the Manhattanville College campus in February, appeared in Westchester County Court Wednesday for a scheduled hearing.

Stacey Pagli's defense attorney, Allan Focarile, has said that he intends to offer psychiatric evidence in the 38-year-old's defense. If a jury is convinced that Stacey Pagli was suffering from severe depression when she killed her daughter, the current second-degree murder charges could be reduced to manslaughter. 

While arranging a psychiatric evaluation, Focarile indicated his desire to contact John Pagli, Stacey Pagli's husband, but said he has not been able to do so. Focarile acknowledged that John Pagli does not want to associate with the defense, but asked that he speak with doctors to help determine Stacey Pagli's mental state.

Focarile, who noticed that John Pagli was in the courtroom at the time, said that he would like to convey that only doctors would speak with him, not the defense.

Even that, however, appears unlikely. Assistant District Attorney Timothy Ward told the court that John Pagli has no desire at this time to be associated with the defense in any way.

"Mr. Pagli does not want to speak with Mr. Focarile or any members of the defense," said Ward. "Should that change I will let you know."

John Pagli fought back tears in the second row of the courtroom and left without speaking. It never did appear likely that John Pagli would come to the defense of his wife. At a proceeding in Harrison on March 2, John Pagli cried out " while Stacey Pagli left the courtroom.

On Tuesday, Stacey Pagli, wearing jeans and a sweater, kept her head down throughout most of the hearing and did not speak or turn to the court gallery, where her husband was sitting, at any time. She is currently being held without bail.

Police believe that Stacey Pagli strangled Marissa Pagli, her 18-year-old daughter, to death during an argument in the family's apartment on the Manhattanville campus on February 22. Stacey Pagli then attempted suicide but survived, according to police.

Stacey Pagli was arrested in the White Plains Hospital on February 24 and charged with second-degree murder, a felony. Since then she has attempted suicide at least twice while in police custody.

Marissa Pagli, a 2009 graduate of Harrison High School, was a college freshman at the time of her murder.