As his story unfolds, questions persist

< Previous page

Massey married Wylie about a month after the explosion, but they separated, and Massey said her family told him she was dead. She is alive, however, and has declined an interview with The Star.

Roma told the newspaper recently that he had seen Massey’s pickup with a can of gasoline in the truck bed heading toward the construction site the night of the explosion. Roma denies setting any fires and suspects Massey was involved. Massey denies the claim.

The Star consulted several mental health experts about Massey’s statements. While they did not evaluate him personally, they said that people who lie usually do so for some kind of gain.

However, Steven Mandracchia, director of forensic services at Western Missouri Mental Health Center, said it was difficult to determine what Massey could gain by lying in this case.

He added that witnesses such as Massey could be selectively lying about any number of things, but that even pathological liars would be likely to tell the truth to federal investigators who could punish them for wasting their time.

“If there is an obvious and impending penalty to lying, that leans toward truth,” Mandracchia said.

He added that there is good reason not to dismiss Massey, noting that just because people lie about some things doesn’t mean they lie about everything,

“It’s like the old joke,” Mandracchia said. “Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean somebody isn’t after me.”

< Previous page