A Washington state psychiatrist concluded that a steroid-induced psychosis was responsible for the “roid rage” that caused a 250-lb former arena football player to violently force his way through airport security at the Tri-Cities Airport and run onto the tarmac to chase a departing Horizon Air flight 2103 to Seattle. Michael Rayfield Hodges proclaimed to be God during the airport security breach when he assaulted a female Transportation Security Administration and punched Port of Pasco Officer Jim Rohman. The former Arena Football League player for the Tri-Cities Fever was charged with first degree assault and two counts of third-degree assault (”Psychiatrist says ex-Fever player now competent to stand trial,” January 17).
His first trial is set Feb. 25 for a jail scuffle in November when Hodges is accused of biting off the fingertip of a corrections officer and repeatedly punching another officer in the face.
The second trial is March 11 for allegedly forcing his way into the Tri-Cities Airport’s secured boarding area four days earlier and hitting a Port of Pasco officer in the process.
State psychiatrist Dr. William H. Grant wrote in a report that Michael Hodges was an experienced anabolic steroid user who had used several cycles while playing in the Arena Football League and as a standout player at Idaho State University. Anabolic steroids never caused psychosis during his previous history of cycling steroids. But apparently, Hodges used a new, unfamiliar steroid for the first time and “did not anticipate its adverse effects.”
The so-called steroid-induced psychosis was so severe that it required treatment with anti-psychotic medications while institutionalized for six weeks at the Eastern State Hospital, a state psychiatric hospital in Medical Lake, Washington. Read more
Dan Clark, best know as “Nitro” from the original American Gladiator television series, was inspired by Jose Canseco to write an autobiographical book about the evils of anabolic steroids. Nitro claims that his “steroid addiction” led to “a life of pissing blood, smuggling drugs, destroying hotel rooms, getting arrested, growing breasts, and lying bloodied in the street after a vicious fight with his best friend.” Dan Clark tells TMZ he was inspired by Jose Canseco to write a book about the dangers of steroids Read more
Robert Pfeffer, a 64-year old man, has sued two deputies allegedly exhibiting “roid rage” during an incident where one of the deputies tasered him. Deputy John Eaton, with the Lee County Sherriff’s Office, “escorted” Pfeffer to the ground and tasered him while Pfeffer was walking away from an ambulance. The EMS ambulance was requested by Pfeffer’s wife to attend to Mr. Pfeffer’s severe chest pains after receiving an implanted heart defibrillator (”Lee deputies face lawsuit after man Tasered during arrest,” December 22).
The plaintiff, Robert J. Pfeffer, a 64-year-old Bonita Springs man, was walking with his wife in their Spanish Wells neighborhood on April 11, 2007, when he suddenly felt sharp pain in his legs and chest. Pfeffer has a heart defibrillator, and his wife called paramedics out of concern he might be having a heart attack.
Pfeffer refused treatment after being seen by EMTs, and he began to walk home. The two deputies, John Eaton and Thomas Chappell, both of whom were assigned to the Bonita Springs Community Policing Unit, arrived at Spanish Wells and confronted the man. At some point, Eaton tackled Pfeffer — or, as the arrest report states, “escorted him to the ground” — and Chappell shot Pfeffer with his Taser stun gun.
The possible use of anabolic steroids and “roid rage” that could have caused the “improper, illegal and excessive use of force” were specifically cited by Robert Pfeffer in an amended complaint alleging multiple constitutional and civil rights violations by Deputy John Eaton, his partner Deputy Thomas Chappell and their boss Lee County Sheriff Michael Joseph Scott. Read more
Mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Justin Levens and his wife Sarah McLean-Levens were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide on Wednesday, December 17, 2009. An autopsy was conducted on Thursday but investigators are still awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine if the deceased had used any drugs prior to their deaths. Yet, bloggers and writers are jumping on the steroid bandwagon blaming anabolic steroids as a potential culprit for the tragedy (”Justin Levens Suspected of Killing Wife and Himself,” December 18).
Wrestling is a sport that has brutal action, and often an even more brutal aftermath for fighters. Mixed martial arts, which is becoming a powerful alternative to wrestling, appears to be no different. Drugs, steroids and a bad mental state outside the ring may be just as prominent in mixed martial arts. That may have been the case for former competitor Justin Levens, who is suspected to have killed himself after killing his wife.
A few have approached the Levens murder-suicide tragedy without such steroid hysterics. Fightlinker thinks people need to stop focusing so much on steroids while ignoring painkillers which are a “bigger elephant in the room” (”Stop trying to disown Justin Levens,” December 19).
Levens was a mixed martial artist who was hooked on painkillers. Pain med addiction is a serious problem in our sport, and it’s only getting worse. What happened with Levens was obviously a rare and horrible outcome, and it’s not like we’re expecting James Irvin and Joe Riggs to go off like ticking time bombs any second now. But we might want to maybe consider looking into the painkiller issue. I don’t know what can be done, but at this point they’re a bigger elephant in the room than steroids are.
Sherdog makes note of several events that point to potential painkiller use/abuse by Justin Leven aka “The Executioner” Read more
The Intermunicipal Police of Thérèse-De Blainville publicly announced the completion of its investigation into the distribution of Syrus Labs, a major Canadian underground lab (UGL) specializing in anabolic steroids. The announcement comes over five months after the steroid bust presumably to allow time for the laboratory at INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier to perform chemical analysis on the seized drugs.
Frédéric Vigeant was arrested and faces multiple charges related to the production, counterfeiting and possession of anabolic steroids and controlled substances for the purpose of trafficking, and a charge related to illegal firearms possession (”Pharmacie clandestine démantelée,” December 10).
Frédéric Vigeant was busted on July 25, 2008 when police responded to a domestic disturbance at the home of Frédéric Vigeant in an affluent neighborhood in Sainte-Thérèse, a suburb north of Montreal, during which they observed significant quantities of tablets and a couple of cannabis plants in plainview. Acting on this information, law enforcement obtained a search warrant and searched and seized substantial quantities of anabolic steroids and ancillary drugs labelled under the Syrus Labs brand as well as recreational drugs (marijuana and amphetamines) stored in the basement of the residence Read more
James Drake was sentenced to 12 months in jail for an episode of “road rage” attributed to anabolic steroids in the Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court in South Wales. Drake got out of his vehicle wearing brass knuckles and pointed a crossbow at the driver of a truck that cut him off on the road. The court determined that steroids caused Drake to go into a “roid rage” during the traffic incident (”Crossbow terror of road rage witness,” November 27).
It appeared the use of steroids causes him to lose self-control and this is what happened on this occasion.
He said the combination of offences was so serious only custody could be justified.
James Drakes pleaded guilty to two charges of possession offensive weapons (a crossbow and a knuckleduster) and one charge of affray. Judge Christopher Vosper QC sentenced Drakes to 12 months in jail. Read more
The general public takes comfort in blaming anabolic steroids for violent and abhorrent crimes. The media is quick to find such associations given their tendency towards steroid demonization and steroid hysteria. The latest instance involves child abuse by Anthony Badalamenti in which the perpetrator has been linked to anabolic steroids, the violent beating has been referred to as an example of roid rage, and his behavior has been compared to the Chris Benoit tragedy.
The New York Daily News reports that Anthony Badalamenti obtained anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) in 2006 from Lowen’s Pharmacy which were prescribed to him by Dr. Richard Lucente (who is under investigation for writing precriptions for performance enhancing drugs) (”Long Island bodybuilder linked to Mitchell Report pharmacy,” November 4).
“I don’t know if this was ‘roid rage, but this sure reminds me of Chris Benoit,” said the source, referring to the professional wrestler who had steroids in his system when he killed his wife and son before committing suicide in 2007.
Phoenix Police Commander Kim Humphrey will advise police leaders around the country on ways to reduce “roid rage” in law enforcement at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in San Diego on November 9, 2008. It seems that the use of anabolic steroids by police officers could threaten the lives of the public at large presumably due to violent aggression of roid rage (”Police Dept. leads way on steroid testing,” October 9).
“Steroids can be a life-safety issue, not only for the user, but for the public,” said Humphrey, who is speaking at a national conference in November alongside Dr. Gary Green, a UCLA sports medicine expert and adviser to Major League Baseball on anabolic steroids.
The Phoenix Police Department, the Phoenix Fire Department and the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association joined forces to create the Phoenix Steroids Task Force after the widespread steroid use was exposed by local media, a DEA probe and an internal investigation. It appears that police officers were trying to gain an unfair advantage over criminals (”Phoenix a pioneer in steroid-testing policy,” October 19).
Like athletes who ignore testosterone-induced side effects to gain a competitive edge on the field, a handful of Valley law-enforcement officers were investigated because authorities believed they were using anabolic steroids to gain an edge on the streets.
Of course such “cheating” was unacceptable and the lack of a “level playing field” between police and criminals would not be tolerated. Read more
Sydney District Court Judge Michael Finnane rejected defense arguments that a “rampage of rape” perpetrated by James Nigel Stephens was caused by a “very, very nasty cocktail” of anabolic steroids and alcohol. Judge Finnane showed no leniency in sentencing Stephens to 20 years in prison (”Teen jailed for ‘rampage of rape’,” October 17).
“I must emphasise that I have no acceptable evidence that he drank to excess or that he consumed anabolic steroids,” the judge.
A causal role between anabolic steroids and aggression and “roid rage” has long been discussed in popular culture although not clearly supported by the scientific literature. The defendant’s attorney tried to convince the judge that factors related to anabolic steroid use were at the root of Stephens’ uncharacteristic behavior Read more
![](http://www.mesomorphosis.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/life-roid-rage.jpg "NBC television series \")
The NBC television series “Life” creatively demonized anabolic steroids in the plotline of the recent episode entitled “Everything… All the Time.” They producers of “Life” blamed anabolic steroids for murder, roid rage, a suicide attempt, steroid overdose, and bleeding from the eyes in this bit of anti-steroid propaganda. The “roid rage” scene rivaled and arguably surpassed the classic “Ben Affleck Roid Rage After School Special” in its imaginative, fanciful and fictional portrayal of roid rage. This is an amazing feat in and of itself.
The steroid hysteria also incorporated an attack on physicians who prescribe steroids, health clubs and gyms, and bodybuilders who use steroids; the “Life” episode featured a doctor who was a “board certified physician” that owned “Flex T Gym” and prescribed steroids to its members (but referred to members as “clients” so that their medical records would be covered by “doctor-client confidentiality”)!
Anti-steroid crusaders will find an agreeable ending consistent with their agenda; the roid-raging steroid user (Jeff Soskin playing Marty Hawkins) dies from a “massive steroid overdose” as the result of a “steroid hot shot” with twenty times the potency of the average steroid dose!
This is one of the most uninformed depictions of anabolic steroids and so-called roid rage in television history rivaling Ben Affleck in ‘A Body to Die For: The Aaron Henry Story’ and Peter Billingsley in ‘The Fourth Man’ in its degree of absurdity. Read more
Mathias Bolton was wrongly attacked and beat in his residence by at least two police officers. He blames anabolic steroids for causing one of the officers to attack him in a lawsuit filed last week; no explanation was provided explaining why the other officer(s) attacked him (”Cop “shot up” before attacking: Claims ‘roids fueled beating on wrong man,” September 3).
The lawsuit claimes Vargas was a target of a Jersey City Police Department investigation into steroid use by cops and “was using a steroid, testosterone or other prescription substance when he assaulted Mr. Bolton which was a proximate cause of his attacking and beating Mr. Bolton.”
A Connecticut man was convicted and sentenced for second-degree assault and first-degree unlawful restraint. Carlos Ramos threatened the life of his girlfriend, punched and kicked her on the ground and then forced himself upon her; he did not face rape charges because she allegedly consented. He invoked the “dumbbell defense” blaming his behavior on his use of anabolic steroids (”Victim asks judge to go easy on abuser,” August 30).
“I was not like that before I did steroids,” Carlos Ramos said. “I know I hit her, but I don’t remember doing it.”
Judge Michael Sheldon, of the Litchfield Superior Court, agreed that anabolic steroids caused Ramos to beat his girlfriend.
Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa had a discussion about anabolic steroids this morning on “Live with Regis and Kelly” (airing June 19, 2008 on ABC). Regis wonders why steroids are demonized because they build muscle.
Regis: Steroids have gotten a bad rap. Boy oh boy, everyone is condemning them and you are not allowed to have them…
Kelly: Well, I think if you use them illegally to build muscle and to…
Regis: What’s wrong with that? What IS WRONG with THAT?! Read more
The Dallas Morning News continues with their breaking coverage of murder-suicide of convicted steroid dealer David Jacobs and Amanda Jo Savell. Police arriving at the scene of the tragedy discovered significant quantities of anabolic steroids at the residence of David Jacobs (”Steroid trafficker David Jacobs’ death is ruled a suicide,” June 7)
Authorities seized from his Plano home 146 vials of steroids, a plastic jar containing suspected steroids and three jars of clear liquid believed to contain steroids, according to court records obtained Friday by The Dallas Morning News.
This evidence (especially if accompanied by a toxicology report confirming recent steroid use by Jacobs) will set the stage for the media to sensationalize anabolic steroids as the drugs that “caused” the homicide and subsequent suicide much like they did in the Chris Benoit murder-suicide. Jacobs supposedly was mandated to submit to 5-6 drug tests every month; certainly federal agents would test for steroids.
I hope journalists researching this case will read the article “Chris Benoit Tragedy – Anabolic Steroids, Aggression & Violence” by Jack Darkes, PhD for a research-based review of steroids and aggression along with a warning about the danger singling out steroids as the culprit.
Ghastly acts such as the Benoit case are rare and, as science would predict, their association with AAS use is virtually non-existent. Many other characteristics are far more predictive of such events. It cannot be said with certainty whether AAS contributed to this tragedy or not. If they were involved, AAS were not a sole contributor but part of a larger set of characteristics and circumstances. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that AAS alone caused this behavior and they are obviously not necessary for such events to occur. The evidence does suggest that most AAS users do not become aggressive. Nonetheless, science will, at best, play a small part in society’s verdict on Benoit and AAS in this tale and it will be another instance where a drug is linked to a heinous act by association and, therefore, the untested popular notions that dominate the headlines today will be reinforced.
During my meeting with Don Hooton and Steve Smith of the Taylor Hooton Foundation yesterday, Mr. Hooton told me the breaking Jacobs/Savell case in his hometown of Plano kept him busy fielding calls seeking his reaction to the tragedy; it was particularly troubling for Hooton that one of the largest steroid dealers in the country lived only minutes from his house. (For the record, Mr. Hooton graciously ignored these calls during our 90-minute meeting which focused on finding common ground in efforts to minimize and prevent steroid use in adolescents.)
As far as the connection between steroids and the David Jacobs murder-suicide, I hope the media is sufficiently resourceful to also seek reaction from researchers like Dr. Jack Darkes at the University of South Florida who have a specialized academic interest in anabolic steroids and aggression to provide additional voices to the discussion.
Former steroid dealer David Jacobs and IFBB fitness pro Amanda Savell were discovered dead early this morning. It was first reported on Anthony Roberts blog and also reported by John Romano on Muscular Development and Hardbody. I have confirmed it with a close friend of Amanda Jo’s who has spoken with her family and police on the matter. While it was most likely a murder-suicide with Jacobs first shooting his former girlfriend and then turning the gun on himself, police have not ruled out a double homicide.
David Jacobs was one of the largest steroid dealers in the country importing raw steroid powders from China and converting them in an underground lab. David Jacobs was ostracized from the bodybuilding and fitness community due to Jacobs generous plea agreement with prosecutors. In spite of his large-scale steroid distribution ring, Jacobs did not serve jail time and was only sentenced to probation. He has repeatedly denied being a snitch other than publicly naming football player Matt Lehr as a distributor of steroids and growth hormone.
The murder-suicide is a terrible tragedy. It is probably only a matter of time before the media starts to suggest steroid use and roid rage as the culprit behind the tragedy much as they did with Chris Benoit. But I hope the media spends some time to appreciate the “richness of these lives” lost and seek ways to avert future such tragedies. This was best said by Jack Darkes in his review of the Chris Benoit tragedy:
If AAS are blamed and the richness of these lives ignored, then the opportunity to prevent such rare events goes unrealized. Singling out a drug to blame leads to fiery rhetoric, congressional hearings, prohibition and scare tactics; none of these have succeeded in curbing drug use, especially among those at greatest risk for harm. Most AAS users do not experience negative effects and hence distrust the message and the messengers, perhaps most notably among those who should listen. Research has shown this many times. Blaming AAS diverts focus from potential indicators of risk and predictors of harmful outcomes. This is where science might be most helpful in dispelling simplistic notions and in working toward more effective risk identification, targeting of limited resources and reducing associated harms.
Rest in peace.
