Alfred Postell of Washington D.C. started out as a rising star; a hardworking, intelligent, and motivated young man who would obtain degrees in economics, accounting, and law. He graduated from Harvard Law in 1979, the same year as Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts, as well as Judge Thomas Motley, who he appeared before on a Saturday in early April after being charged with unlawful entry. Motley was shocked to discover the life his former classmate was now leading, and many since then have been shocked by his story.
Postell is a diagnosed schizophrenic. For the first portion of his life, nothing seemed amiss– he graduated form high school, got an associate’s degree from Strayer college while juggling a day job, passed the CPA exam and became an audit manager at an accounting firm, earning more than $50,000 a year. He went to the University of Maryland for a degree in economics. Before graduating he’d already been accepted into his next academic endeavor: Harvard Law School. Former classmates and colleagues alike recall Postell as soft-spoken, articulate, and incredibly intelligent. Taking a job at the firm Shaw Pittman Potts & Trowbridge after graduation, he was their only black lawyer at the time. He was mysteriously let go (none of his coworkers seem to recall or know why, and a partner at the firm has refused comment), and he began to withdraw from the life he’d made for himself. Then he snapped.
Postell at his Harvard Law graduation ceremony (Photo from Postell Family)
Psychologists call this a “psychotic break”. According to the Washington Post, “It’s when a victim’s slackening grip on reality finally ruptures, cleaving their lives into two clear categories: before and after.”
Postell began collecting criminal charges– a theft charge in 1989, misdemeanors in the 90s. “You get into a firm, it’s prestigious,” Postell says. “And when you lose that position, it’s like suicide. It’s all over. It’s atrophy. Or as accountants say, it’s to be obsolete. You know what that means? Obsolescence. Beyond your useful life. I was beyond my useful life.”
Postell’s story is sadly not an uncommon one; many schizophrenics, especially high achievers (think John Nash in A Beautiful Mind) are able to conceal their symptoms for a long time before that psychotic break. He was acquitted of unlawful entry and now sits outside a building he has frequented for years. There are mental health teams trying to work with him, but for now there’s only so much they can do.