Jackson Jambalaya

He recently closed his office and retired. He was a great guy, but I quit going to him about a year ago b/c the spidey sense was telling me that something just wasn't quite right anymore. Very very sad.

Retirement was not kind.

"NOTICE to the patients of William C. Mayfield, Jr., M.D. Dr. Mayfield's office practice, William C. Mayfield, Jr., M.D., Ophthalmology 3000 Fondren Building, Suite 445 3000 Old Canton Road Jackson, Mississippi 39216 closed on February 27, 2014. For information, or to obtain medical records, patients may call 601-981-1550. March 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2014"

He retired because he was suffering from Parkinson's. The medications for that condition can seriously affect personality causing a person to have hallucinations and other difficulties. From people that were there last night, he was not in his right mind at all. I knew this couple growing up in Jackson, this is not his personality. Very very sad.

They were wonderful people, truly great. This is a sad situation.

i can't believe susan is gone...

As somebody above said, my understanding is that Dr. Mayfield was suffering from Parkinson's. There is a link between the L-DOPA in the medication and psychosis.

Dr. Mayfield was an outstanding doctor and a good person. Just a tragic set of circumstances.

Was just with them last night at church. I have known them for many years, sat next to Susan in choir. I can't believe she's gone. Have been to their lovely home on several occasions. This is a great tragedy. Bill and Susan are some of the sweetest people I know. I just hugged them and shook their hands last night. Can't quite wrap my head around this. In my opinion he would not be able to stand trial in his condition. That being said, this is another reason not to have guns in the home. Such an awful tragedy. Prayer go out to the children, grandchildren and siblings. My deepest sympathy.

Very sad. Our kids were in the band together at Jackson Academy, and we made many band trips together. Very fine people.

I was a patient of Dr. Mayfield's for 20+ years. An extremely sad situation, from his health issues to now this. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

So if he was suffering bad side effects from his medication, why would he have access to a gun? Very sad.

"So if he was suffering bad side effects from his medication, why would he have access to a gun? Very sad."

Because the Department of Gun Removal doesn't exist...yet. Outside of his wife who do you think would have been tasked with collecting the guns of someone we 'suspect' is suffering side effects from medication?

Dr. Mayfield had been my doctor, and I was one of his last cataract surgical patients. He was such a good physician, and his office was filled with his wife's art work - she was a very good artist. I will always think of him when I see beautiful, home-grown roses, as that was his hobby, and he brought them to his office for everyone to enjoy. I am so sad for him and the family. God have mercy and give them comfort.

They were both really nice people, very sad.

Please don't bring the gun thing into this. Should they have taken all the kitchen knives out of the house as well? Stop. You're letting the "bargaining" stage of grief steer you as if one simple maneuver could have prevented a tragedy. If he suffered a psychotic break from the disease and/or the medication, then he would be capable of murder in many ways. Don't make this about you.

This is so awful. Mrs. Mayfield is such a beautiful person and Dr. Mayfield loved her so. This is a tragedy of medication levels going unattended. He was obviously not handling what he was on very well. His psychiatrist should have been more watchful. They are both lovely, Christian people.

This is just so awful. Mrs. Mayfield always brought us the most beautiful flowers and the Mayfield's have loved our family well. If anything, it has to be a case of medication levels going unattended. He has such a kind heart. And Mrs. Susan was such a blessing to those who had the pleasure of knowing her.

This is a tragedy. Just goes to show that this type of crime can happen no matter who you are, where you live, or what you have done in life.

No more gun control or political agenda comments.

Some medications can have worse side effects than the disease,

I wish we lived in a world when a patient could be hospitalized and observed during the first days on such potent and potentially dangerous meds.

Once upon a time in a sane world that cared more about long term costs than short term expense, that could happen

Thank you Kingfish.

My heart goes out to the family, especially to Dr. Mayfield.

Love how Kingfish always throws up titillating subjects and then restricts the conversation. As if.

He wants to conjure up all manner of conjecture and supposition but then steps in pretending to be the pastor in residence. This thread should never have been posted to begin with.

This is indeed a tragic story. Parkinson's medication can have significant side effects. Remember, this is a disease of the brain. My wife suffers from Parkinson's and sadly Mississippi has limited expert Parkinson's help. UMCC does not have a single Neurologist certified in Parkinson's treatment. The only certified doctor is in Pascagoula. The nearest expert help is Birmingham at the University of Alabama medical center. I was a patient of Dr. Mayfield, a caring and personable person, and have to believe that the drugs were an issue.

Why is he being held without bond? He needs to be in a hospital, not jail!

Hey 6:57,
The deadline for this week's goofy pop-up ballot for the "best of Fondren" poll is rapidly approaching.
So get back to your internship requirements.

Show some respect for this family.

"His psychiatrist"? What manner of supposition is *that*, 4:06?

I don't see disrespect in 6:57's post at all. It merely points out that once floodgates are opened, there's always somebody trying to manipulate the flow of water.

5:27 Stop enabling the lunacy from 6:57. As has been posted numerous times here in the past - if you don't like how KF runs this blog, go start your own. Also, why berate 4:06 for a thoughtful, accurate comment. Parkinson's is a disease treated by neurologists or psychiatrists, and in the past many were trained and board-certified in both specialties because of the tremendous clinical overlap of symptoms in brain diseases (whether "psychiatric" or "neurological" in classification).

My spouse and I are both physicians and were his patients, and raised the issue with the state medical board as to whether he was fit to practice after, first, a disturbing visit, then an alarming visit early this year. He closed his office soon after that.

He does not belong in prison, and he may not even be able to assist in his own defense. This is a terrible tragedy and I don't know what options are available to him. I suspect if he stops his meds and his mind clears he will be tormented until he dies once he realizes what he did.

6:57 Just STFU and leave. Grownups are talking about something serious.

Thank you for your 5:00 comment, KF.

8:05, thank you for posting that information. I don't have anyone in the family who has parkinsons so I didn't know that.

To those who have posted and were friends of the family, I am so sorry for your loss.

Many prayers to the family.

"6:57 Just STFU and leave. Grownups are talking about something serious." Bravo.

We are imperfect beings. No one knows what really happened in the Mayfield home. Perhaps not even Dr. Mayfield. Each of us suffers because that is the human state. If Dr. Mayfield is aware, or in time becomes aware, of what he has done, that realization will be his true sentence for the rest of his life. The Neurology and Psychiatry Specialties are facing huge funding cuts in research by the National Institute of Health under our current administration. Please make your voices known to your constituents. These areas of medicine are underfunded. Research does and can continue to save lives.

In light of the fact that the family members and others now believe that the medications are to blame, I'm just wondering why those particular medications weren't immediately stopped as soon as the first signs of seriously strange thinking and behavior began to be apparent in Dr. Mayfield? I understand that two of the three sons are doctors.

Had Dr. Mayfield been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or dementia in addition to Parkinson's?

Exactly what medications was Dr. Mayfield taking?

If you're dealing with a person with serious dementia--or any kind of psychotic condition--your life may be danger. (One definition I've seen for the word psychosis is this: "Any severe mental disorder in which contact with reality is lost or highly distorted.") Obviously, locking up any guns from such individuals would certainly be very smart, but how would you lock up any and every other kind of object that could be used as a deadly weapon?

Each person reacts to the same medication differently. When you have your prescription filled, and consider taking it, you, or your caretaker, must read about all of the possible side effects. Should you choose to ingest it, you hope you are not in the percentage that dies, wants to commit suicide, goes blind, turns purple, etc. You are willing to suffer the side effects because the pain and suffering you are going through is so bad you have to find a way out of it. It is a choice you, or a loved one who helps you, must make, so that while you continue to live on this earth you may be able to bear the pain. Anyone who reads this and experiences pain mentally or physically, on a daily basis, understands.

Keep in mind also that Medical Doctors are not God. They are PRACTICING medicine. They cannot be with the patient 24/7.

I guess he was suffering from AFFLUENZA! Perhaps he committed the CRIME because as HE SAID "he was upset that a man had been calling their home asking for her". It's always interesting that when CERTAIN PEOPLE commit crimes, people spend their time trying to justify it for them. It's truly unfortunate that this crime happened but his answer is very plausible regardless of what his social status is/was. Some affluent people are actually violent. You don't have to look very far to find the many stories about it. This guy shouldn't get a pass just because 'people like him' just don't do this. YES, they do. And often!

Parkinson's Disease took the life of my father, or rather the complication of aspiration pneumonia and starvation, due to the inability to swollow, was what finally took him. He fought the diseases progression for 20 years. From first hand experience, it is one nasty, horrible way to die. From his photos and seeing him walk, his parkinsons is in the VERY EARLY stages. There could be some underlying bi-polar issues, that were triggered by the disease. The man has anger issues and needs serious help, not a jail cell. Find him guilty if you wish, but give him the dignity to die someplace other than a jail cell. Quit blaming his medications and Parkinsons Disease. Sometimes people just "snap" for reasons we will never understand. He lost his vocation because of his health and couldn't deal with it. Love him for who he was, but don't make excuses for him.

10:34, you also need to "STFU, because grownups are talking." I am a neurologist, and you have no idea what you are talking about. People have idiopathic reactions to these powerful medicines, and there is no way to predict it. Do you honestly think that people live honest, productive lives, and then at the age of almost seventy commit murder because the whole time they were hidden sociopaths? There are multiple side effects of dopaminergic medication that have been established in the medical record for a long time. You need to look at this case and think "there but for the grace of God go I." Dr. Mayfield has very little to look forward to in his older years. I am so tired of this same mantra of people who are jealous of people who have worked like crazy and have things ("affluenza"). When will people like you just STOP?

My father died almost two years ago after a long, slow bout with Lewybody dimensia, a Parkinsonian malady. He didn't have tremors as so many associate with Parkinson's, but he did lose fine motor skills, e.g. Tying shoes became very tough. More disturbing were his hallucinations. He would see people on the couch and get upset with my mother because she wouldn't help them. He also had occasional mood changes. A gentle man his entire life, he would lash out at my mom verbally over imagined things. It was a difficult and heartbreaking experience.

They went to Covenant Pres with the Mayfields. I grew up in that church and knew them as well. My mother said that Bill Mayfield was exhibiting some of the same behaviors as my father and she was concerned for Susan, but her concern was because she knew how hard it can be to live with someone in that state. Neither she nor anyone who knew Bill Mayfield would have had a whit of concern that she would be in danger.

I tend to believe these phone calls were Bill's version of my father's "people on the couch" and whether his reaction was medication related, or simply an out working of his infirmity, it was certainly related to his Parrkinsons situation.

To the JFPer who came trolling on here, ignorance on proud display, carping about affluenza and suggesting that the genuine concern expressed here is some sort of rationalization to excuse a rich man, you are the lowest type of troll. You are an ignorant, pitiful soul who has absolutely no understanding of that which you speak nor any compassion for a truly tragic situation. Crawl back to your Fondren Opium Den and get high with your fellow slackers and bitch about rich white people while living off your rich white parents. Maybe someone will buy your artwork someday.

6:14, would you please run for President? Well done!!!

6:14 is the best post ever written on JJ.

My thoughts exactly!

6:14 is the best post ever written on JJ.

The last paragraph is certainly a gem.

Best post ever on JJ? Nope. Not close.

At this point, nobody knows why this happened. Could it have been the medicine, dementia, some issue related to Parkinson's? Could it have been anger, depression, any of the other reasons murders happen? I'm sure the investigation and medical examinations will provide more information. But until then, this argument is nothing more than supposition.

Since there seem to be several doctors in this thread, my question is whether there are other documented cases where Parkinson's patients have killed someone because of a reaction to their medication? If that is a cause here, then I would have to believe there are other cases, even if only a few, where this same thing has happened.

And for the lawyers, would Parkinson's symptoms that may have caused this qualify as legal insanity? I know it is possible to have mental health issues and still not be legally insane.

Thanks for your redundancy 9:34 a.m. who is ALSO 10:34 p.m.

Fortunately the law allows for scenarios such as this if indeed Dr. Mayfield was not of right mind. He will be evaluated. If he is truly incapable of understanding his actions, the law provides a remedy.

This sounds like a textbook case of Parkinson's with Lewy Body Dementia. I know, as my husband suffers from it. He is currently in the hospital, having his meds carefully monitored. Sadly, the only TRUE way to diagnose LBD is through an autopsy, but we are fortunate in that we have a fabulous neurologist who has suspected that LBD was the true culprit. Unfortunately, not ALL neurologists or psychiatrists are aware of this condition. What a very, very sad situation. My prayers to the family.

6:14 Great post. Funny how jealously and self esteem issues can manifest. Especially by the left bank wanna be types of Fondren, that great concentration of smelly candle shops,second hand clothing stores and crappy "art".

I knew/know the Mayfields for 26 years,as neighbors and friends. No finer people. Solid. Accomplished. Tragic, yes. Murder,no.

Looks as if the only posts El Kingfish will allow in opposition to the snooty upper class are the ones belittling Fondren and his arch rival. Can we say all together now....transparent.

The only explanation for this tragic incident is that either Parkinson's disease or the medications that Dr. Mayfield was taking for the disease created a psychosis that robbed him of his ability to think and function like a normal healthy human being. It is all too common with this disease. I worked with the Mayfields back in the late 80's, when they employed me to design and develop the house plans and consult with them on the construction of their home on St. Andrews. Never have I worked with a couple who were as respectful of one another's opinions -- and believe me, there is nothing quite like working with a couple to develop plans for their "forever" home, to observe the the differences of opinions and irritations that that they have for one another. However, the Mayfields were always in sync, and made all decisions in perfect harmony. Over the years, we stayed in touch; whenever they wanted to make the slightest change or alteration to their home, they consulted me. Each visit revealed a couple who were increasing in love and devoted to one another. They shared every interest -- family, church, the children's school, music, gardening, exercise, travel...you name it, they did it together. Susan was an angel, who looked like Jackie Kennedy, and who spoke in the sweetest, most melodious voice I think I have ever heard. Bill adored her. I have never met a more perfect, more loving couple. He was a revered and respected eye doctor with a successful practice, but more importantly, a man who always put his wife and family first. She was equally devoted to him. I fear that a lifetime of living in a sublime marriage left her in disbelief that she would ever be in endangered by him, no matter the disturbing personality changes that she surely must have been witnessing and enduring over the past few months. She would be the last person on earth to have sought institutional care for her husband, although, in retrospect, she certainly should have done so. You could not have convinced her, EVER, that she was not the best person to care for her husband, and sadly, she went to her grave convinced of that. This was love carried to its ultimate perfection, and yet with such horrible and such tragic consequences. The last thing Susan's sweet soul would want is for her husband to spend time in jail for her death; she has forgiven him, just as we all should, and wishes the best of care for him for the rest of his terribly tortured life.

Quick tutorial on Parkinson's Disease (PD) for lay people: PD is caused by the death of brain cells in the midbrain that make dopamine. Most of the time, there is no clear reason why this occurs. PD treatments attempt to fix this by increasing the amount of dopamine circulating in the brain, but because they are taken systemically, dopamine levels are increased throughout the brain, not just in the originally affected part. The drugs cause many side effects, one of which is instability in mood and REM sleep disorder - where you act out your dreams. I once had a patient who woke up beating his wife in the bed because he was dreaming he was fighting someone.

Lewy body dementia is a variety of dementia that includes visual hallucinations and Parkinsonian symptoms. This can not be definitively diagnosed until after death, when the brain can be autopsied and the "Lewy bodies" can be seen under a microscope.

Another interesting aspect of this case is the fact that psychosis is treated by drugs that block dopamine receptors. This is why many psychiatric patients develop drug-induced Parkinson's after several years of antipsychotic treatment. So when a person with PD or a PD-like ailment develops psychotic behavior, the neurologist is in a bind. Do you treat the movement disorder and gait problems with dopamine, or do you use dopamine-blocking antipychotics to stop the psychosis? It is very Catch-22.

That said, my heart goes out to Dr. Mayfield. I went to medical school with one of his sons, and they are a wonderful family. Hope the trolls out there can stick to the posts about politics.

Since all the UMMC professors and wannabee scientists are on this blog site, who the hell is watching the store over there at the corner of Woodrow and State?

10:29; Do you realize you just qualified yourself as a troll? Weighing in primarily to take a cheap shot at someone else?

When a young, poor mentally ill or intellectually disabled person kills someone, many of you are the first to scream "fry him" or something of the like. I believe Dr. Mayfield is entitled to compassion, but just as much as all the other ill people out there. Think about this next time you're outraged over something similar.

I let the comments go for the first day or so because this was a rather shocking event and people just needed to react. I allowed a little bit of cursing but its gotten worse so I've zapped some of the submitted comments. Got to where they were calling each other AH's, pricks, and other nice names fit for Sunday school. If your comment was not approved, submit it again without the foul language or personal insults.

Ophthalmologist

Neither of MY posts contained any profanity or vulgarity and never DO. Mine simply pointed out the fact that the know-it-alls, waving their credentials, superior compassion and friendship, seemed to think they have some license on the facts. Their facts are speculation just like the rest of the posts. You clearly let the high-brows run while culling 'normal' folks' posts.

For those of you here that think you know everything, let me be the first to tell you...you do NOT. so what if 2 of his sons were doctors? One is an ophthalmologist and the other is an orthapaedic surgeon. Not to mention the fact that they live hours away from their parents. And their mother was taking excellent care of their dad. These hallucinations and his erratic behavior only started a few days before this terrible tragedy. After his most recent episode on last Monday night, Ms. Mayfield took him straight to the doctor on Tuesday morning. Yes, his meds were changed on Tuesday. The accident happened on Wednesday. She and Bill loved each other and both wanted nothing more than to protect their sons from the awful truth of just how bad his health had deteriorated in only a few weeks time. So she did everything she could to keep him healthy. None of you know him and none of you can judge him, her, OR their sons that are doctors. They have no part in this because they just didn't know the extent of his illness. Their mother was doing a wonderful job taking care of this man she loved. She was an angel. She is still an angel. And I can assure you he will be an angel.

11:51 - Feel better about yourself after that rant? It's not that I 'hate high brows'...I just recognize them. Don't you?

Not all 'educated folks' are high-brows. I have two masters degrees myself but I have no need to preface each of my posts with that information. The 'better than thou' crowd is easily recognized and you just qualified. Here's your sign!

The hallucinations were present in January 2014 in his office. That's when the medical licensing board was notified he might not be fit to practice. He closed his office very shortly thereafter, and quite suddenly.

I am very interested to know what medication he was on (e.g., Bromocriptine). Parkinson's meds are also used to treat prolactinomas which my husband has. These meds are known to cause paranoia, apathy, hallucinations, and anger. I believe much more information should be made about the dangers of these medications. As far as gun control, it's a simple fix. If someone has a prescription for medications x, y, or z, they can't purchase a gun or bullets. A simple database is all it takes.

Comment deleted
This comment has been removed by the author.

May 5, 2014 at 11:51 PM

And here we have it. Proof that Kingfish poses as anonymous posters periodically. He's the only one that can remove a post.

Actually, if you don't post as an anonymous coward, you can delete your own post.

Bromocriptine is never used in PD. It has too many side effects.

My name is Tom Davis and I am dr. Mayfield's brother-in-law. His family and close friends know this is nothing more than a tragic accident caused by his condition and the medication. We are compiling information to substantiate our conclusion. If you have first hand knowledge of their loving relationship or their character or the decline in his condition or any other instances of his erratic behavior and you are willing to go on the record and speak with his attorney then please contact me by email at jtomdavis@excite.com Please include your name and preferred contact information. Thank you.

To review some things already mentioned before commenting . . .

Anonymous said...
He recently closed his office and retired. He was a great guy, but I quit going to him about a year ago b/c the spidey sense was telling me that something just wasn't quite right anymore. Very very sad.
May 1, 2014 at 9:32 AM

Anonymous said...
. . . My spouse and I are both physicians and were his patients, and raised the issue with the state medical board as to whether he was fit to practice after, first, a disturbing visit, then an alarming visit early this year. He closed his office soon after that. . . .
May 2, 2014 at 9:45 AM

Anonymous said...
The hallucinations were present in January 2014 in his office. That's when the medical licensing board was notified he might not be fit to practice. He closed his office very shortly thereafter, and quite suddenly.
May 6, 2014 at 3:33 PM

Anonymous said...
For those of you here that think you know everything, let me be the first to tell you...you do NOT. so what if 2 of his sons were doctors? One is an ophthalmologist and the other is an orthapaedic surgeon. Not to mention the fact that they live hours away from their parents. And their mother was taking excellent care of their dad. These hallucinations and his erratic behavior only started a few days before this terrible tragedy. After his most recent episode on last Monday night, Ms. Mayfield took him straight to the doctor on Tuesday morning. Yes, his meds were changed on Tuesday. The accident happened on Wednesday. She and Bill loved each other and both wanted nothing more than to protect their sons from the awful truth of just how bad his health had deteriorated in only a few weeks time. So she did everything she could to keep him healthy. None of you know him and none of you can judge him, her, OR their sons that are doctors. They have no part in this because they just didn't know the extent of his illness. Their mother was doing a wonderful job taking care of this man she loved. She was an angel. She is still an angel. And I can assure you he will be an angel.
May 5, 2014 at 11:34 PM

Note that May 5, 11:34 PM stated, "These hallucinations and his erratic behavior only started a few days before this terrible tragedy," and that both Dr. and Mrs. Mayfield "wanted . . . to protect their sons from the awful truth of just how bad his health had deteriorated in only a few weeks time."

But May 6, 3:33 PM (possibly the same person as May 2, 9:45 AM, who was a patient of Dr. Mayfield) stated, "The hallucinations were present in January 2014 in his office. That's when the medical licensing board was notified he might not be fit to practice. He closed his office very shortly thereafter, and quite suddenly."

So, May 5, 11:34 PM is claiming that the hallucinations and his erratic behavior only started A FEW DAYS before Dr. Mayfield shot his wife on Wednesday, April 30th. But May 6, 3:33 PM is saying that the hallucinations were present in January 2014, which was THREE TO FOUR MONTHS EARLIER. Clearly, there's a serious discrepancy here. (And another patient of Dr. Mayfield--May 1, 9:32 AM--even noticed A YEAR AGO that "something just wasn't quite right anymore" and stopped going to him then.)

Just how much was Mrs. Mayfield NOT telling her adult sons (and/or May 5, 11:34 PM, whoever that is) about Dr. Mayfield's mental condition? Why did Mrs. Mayfield think her adult sons needed to be "protected" from the reality of what was really going on with their father? I can definitely believe that it's POSSIBLE that the sons really didn't know the full extent of their father's mental problems, but if that's true, then their mother apparently had NOT been telling them what she SHOULD have been telling them.

Thanks to all of you for your caring and supportive comments. While you would expect some inconsistencies in reports from a variety of unrelated sources, I believe the one constant fact is that those who knew the Mayfield family well all report that Susan and Bill were a loving, caring and devoted couple. Neither of them would have ever resorted to violence, particularly toward each other.

Diseases such as Parkinson's, Lewy body dementia and others that alter thought processes are progressive and very difficult to diagnose and treat. Bill's doctors have been working on that for over two years. Each person is unique in their symptoms and the way they respond to various medications so you cannot accurately predict their behavior. Sometimes they appear to be acting normally and then suddenly their mind plays tricks on them and they see things that aren't really there and act accordingly. Those of us who have ever had bad dreams or nightmares know how terrifyingly realistic they can be. That is similar to what people with mind altering conditions suffer on a daily basis.

I have no doubt that when all of the facts have been collected that this terrible tradegy will be ruled an accident. Thanks to those of you who have helped to document what has been happening to this wonderful family during this most difficult time.

I had cataract surgery with Dr. Mayfield some 8 years ago and believe me, the red flag was obvious when he lost he temper when I was unable to see out of the eye he operated on. I was seeing "watercolor vision." His temper flared and he asked me in a very angry voice, "What do you expect me to do?" A friend was with me and we were both appalled. Fled the office and I never went back.

After a year of blindness in the eye, I sought help from a famous eye clinc in Mississippi to remove the lens...came to find out that the lens was a glass lens instead of one made of new materials! Now that I hear that he shot his wife, I know from my encounter that his anger management was present much sooner than the diagnosis of Parkinsons.

I, like so many other patients, neglected to confront him or report him. There should have been intervention sooner by someone close to him that would have seen these temper flares and his inability to deal with problems. I never sued Dr. Mayfield but did get the eye restored at a famous eye clininc in Mississippi. By the grace of God I now have almost 20/20 in both eyes. My only regret was that I didn't report him in order to save others from having suffered the same disasters. <rbd.

Dr. Mayfield passed away last night. Peace be with his family.