Diane Marsh

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A Tucson woman who is accused of killing her 5-year-old son was thoroughly brainwashed into believing a satanic cult was out to kill her and her son, and those closest to her were part of the plot, a forensic psychologist told jurors Wednesday.

Diane Marsh was so fearful she went on two multistate trips and wrote down the license plates of every vehicle she thought was suspicious, Stephen Golding testified.

Marsh, 41, is charged with first-degree murder and multiple counts of child abuse in the March 2007 death of her son, Brandon Williams.

Jurors have heard evidence that in the months or weeks leading up to the autistic boy's death, Marsh burned the boy's feet with hot water, tied his wrists and ankles to a bedframe and drugged him with an adult sleeping aid.

According to testimony, Brandon died of a fractured skull at Northwest Medical Center less than an hour after one of Marsh's roommates, Flower Tompson, called 911 to say Brandon had stopped breathing.

Marsh's attorney, Assistant Pima County Public Defender Steve Sonenberg, told jurors it was actually Tompson and Tompson's boyfriend, Mark Moss, who killed the child.

On Wednesday, jurors heard from Golding, a retired University of Utah psychology professor who now operates a consulting firm.

Before interviewing Marsh, Golding said he read numerous police reports, witness statements and medical reports.

Golding came to the conclusion that Marsh underwent a radical personality change after she met Tompson and Moss in August 2006.

She stopped taking her son to his doctor appointments, withdrew him from school and developed some "wacky" beliefs, Golding said.

Specifically, Marsh came to believe her pastor was a high priest in a satanic cult, and the cult wanted to sacrifice Brandon, Golding said.

Marsh thought Tompson was the only thing that stood between her and Brandon and death, Golding said.

Tompson did and said numerous things to reinforce Marsh's fears, Golding said.

For instance, Tompson constantly shared with Marsh information from a woman named "Jamie" — who probably never existed, Golding said.

It was "Jamie" who identified the pastor as a high priest. It was Jamie who said a family friend was involved in the plot, and it was Jamie who said the cult had "manipulated the spirit" of her father so he would do their bidding, Golding said.

When Marsh, Tompson, Moss and Brandon left town twice to avoid being murdered, it was Jamie whom Tompson called to "run" the license plates of every car the group deemed suspicious, Golding said.

Tompson also reinforced Marsh's fears by having her watch numerous occult and horror movies so that she could learn more about what she was up against, Golding said.

Golding told jurors Marsh was particularly susceptible to brainwashing or what he preferred to call "coercive persuasion."

Not only did Marsh suffer from low self-esteem and less-than-normal intelligence, but she has long suffered from chronic depression, anxiety and high stress levels, Golding said.

She was a single mother trying to raise three sons with behavioral health issues, and she has a psychiatric disorder that constantly makes her look to others for answers, Golding said.

She also suffered greatly from fibromyalgia, a painful condition that affects people's muscles, tendons and ligaments. Tompson became both a savior and a protector to Marsh, Golding said.

Marsh told him she doesn't know how Brandon's skull was fractured, but admitted she, Tompson and Moss committed the other acts of abuse.

It was only after Marsh was arrested that she slowly began to shake Tompson's influence on her, Golding said.

Golding described Marsh's demeanor nowadays as sad and embarrassed.

Also on Wednesday, Sonenberg admitted two binders filled with receipts from September 2006 through March 2007 to show jurors Marsh's spending habits while under the influence of Tompson and Moss.

Inside the books are motel receipts from multiple states and receipts showing hundreds of dollars were spent on junk food, DVDs and compact discs.

Tompson, who was charged with first-degree murder and child abuse, has pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse under circumstances likely to cause death or serious physical injury.

She is facing a prison sentence of five to 15 years. Moss was never charged in connection with the case.

Judge Hector Campoy is presiding over the trial in Pima County Superior Court.