The name Bahsid McLean has been a household name because of the terrible and incomprehensible event that occurred in the United States in the year 2013. There are, however, other criminal cases which have been in the media for a much longer period. Bahsid’s story is different because it is not just about being a criminal, but a clear case of how a family can become so violent that it results in death. In this paper, we will address issues related to the figure of Bahsid McLean and the relevant events before and after the crime.
The Story of Bahsid McLean
Bahsid McLean came to this world as many youngsters born in the Bronx – with a dysfunctional family. He had a normal childhood, but after mixing it up, he was not able to tell what happiness really was – and emotions are exactly what could be the reason why some nasty occurrences stepped into the picture later in his life. As Tanya Byrd, McLean’s mother, was also identified as a drug addict, the environment within which McLean was raised was not conducive to his welfare. Notwithstanding the challenges posed by his family, very little is known about McLean as a child except that his bond with Tanya, his mother, was of disdain.
| Name | Bahsid McLean |
| Place of Birth | Bronx, New York |
| Mother | Tanya Byrd |
| Crime Year | 2013 |
| Psychological Issues | Speculated |
The Inhumane Actions of Bahsid MacLean
Bahsid McLean committed the matron’s murder, Tanya Byrd, in February 2013. The event occurred in the Bronx apartment, where Bahsid saw his mother, murdered, dismembered, put into several trash bags, and ultimately thrown away. He would then relocate these bags to various parts of the city in an effort to conceal the crime.
The public and the authorities found the brutality of the act hard to come to terms with. It was not simply a case of murder, but the open and callous butchery of one’s mother (some would even argue the same individual) that had caused more than a reasonable cringe. According to reports, Bahsid McLean took a cheeky selfie while holding the severed head of his mother. This particular incident was at the centre of the proceedings and the news as well.
Investigation and Arrest
Following the exhumation of Tanya Byrd’s dismembered body parts in several trash bags, speculation began, and again due to video surveillance and witnesses, investigators centred the attribution of the crime to Bahsid McLean, who resided in close proximity to the victim. When the police went to the house that McLean and his mother had shared, they discovered bloody footprints and instruments used to hack up the body, all of which were clues pointing to the commission of a crime.
| Investigation Findings | Details |
| Crime Scene | Bronx apartment |
| Crime Strategy | Murder in cold blood and dissection of the corpse |
| Means of Disposal | Body parts ripped apart and dumped in trash bags |
| Main Record | Self portrait with a detached head, blood spatter |
The story of Bahsid McLean’s Trial and Sentencing
After being implicated in his mother’s murder, Bahsid McLean was taken into custody on charges of second-degree murder and illegal anatomical dissection. In concluding sections of the affidavit, the prosecutor characterised McLean as an unemotional individual who had very well thought out plans not only an act of killing his mother but also the acts of dismembering her body. A flaunted selfie with his mother’s decapitated head was hateful and served as conclusive evidence against him.
| Outcome of the trial | Particulars |
| Accusation | Murder in the second degree, unlawful dissection |
| Rationale of Defense | Mental illness |
| Writings of Prosecution | Selfie, dismemberment tools and blood |
| Bibliotheca Sentence | 25 years to life imprisonment |
Psychosocial tendencies and Family Influence
- Bahsid McLean’s case also posed challenges with respect to mental health and family relations that would justify such conduct.
- McLean’s defence maintained that he was suffering from psychosis that had not been treated, but did not provide any evidence as to whether an affirmative diagnosis had been rendered before the murder.
- It is likely that the tensioned relationship with the mother and the absence of a proper family structure contributed immensely to the violence that McLean engaged in.
- His act, especially one as shocking as the selfie, indicates many psychological problems that he may have developed as a result of his upbringing and the inability to cope with many feelings of trauma.
- It must be emphasised here that extreme childhood abuse or psychological problems do not always translate into violent behaviour.
Societal Implications and Media Attention
The case of Bahsid McLean received a lot of media coverage as it was a gruesome affair with many scary details. In a nutshell, the selfie morphed into the very embodiment of the heartlessness that McLean was capable of. The case captured the national attention of the media, and even went further to become a discussion on mental health and domestic violence as well as the consequences of neglecting one’s mental health.
Many commentators found it necessary to comment on the case to focus on the lesson of the necessity of those especially young women being given sufficient mental health education.
| Media | Perspective Focus |
| Selfie with Severed | Head Callousness of the crime |
| Discussions on Mental Health | Untreated psychological issues |
| Family Violence | The family dysfunction factors that if not checked can be dangerous |
Preventive Measures Towards Domestic Violence
The case of Bahsid McLean and the death of his mother is a tragic reminder of the importance of having effective measures to protect the children from dysfunctional families. Because the earlier mental health issues and family troubles are recognised, the less likely these extreme scenarios will happen. There is a range of prevention strategies, which include:
- Mental Health Support: Ensuring that when someone is distressed or displaying psychological issues, mental health services are provided for them without limitations.
- Family Therapy: Providing Therapy towards family, so that issues and dysfunction within the family can be resolved
- Community-Based Interventions: Early intervention programs targeted all the high-risk families living in the community were put in place.
- Public Information Campaign: Informing people about the different symptoms of mental illness and the necessity of treatment seeking.
Conclusions
Recently, the case of Bahsid McLean has demonstrated one of the worst instances of violence within a family. His crime only awed the public, and the trial pointed to how warning signs such as untreated mental illness and familial strife should be tackled before they lead to violence. Nonetheless, the fact that McLean was sentenced to 25 years to life is unfortunate because it evokes the lessons that should be learned in order to prevent more McLeans from occurring.
Bahsid McLean will always go down in history as a monster who committed one of the most evil acts in modern history, however his case too highlights how important mental health and more importantly
preventive care is in the context of family issues.
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