Body language expert says video suggests a neurological condition

TAMPA - Anyone would guess there may be something wrong with Julie Schenecker when homicide detectives escorted her out of the Tampa Police Department headquarters.

We wanted to know what a retired FBI profiler saw when he looked at the same video, and asked Joe Navarro to give us his thoughts.

"As you notice there, her head is leaning way back. This is very unsual. Usually when you see suspects coming out, their chin is low," said Joe Navarro.

Navarro is a body language expert who has written ten books (find them at www.jnforensics.com ).  What you saw in the video, he said, are signs of a serious neurological condition.

"Usually, our bodies reflect what's going on in the mind.  And clearly from what we're seeing there, where you see the orbits of the eyes fixed and rigid, you see the ticks of the mouth, you see the bouncing of the head, you see the tension of the face, this goes beyond stress. There's some sort of neurological issue going on. Of course what we don't know is, is it biological or because of drugs or alcohol," said Navarro.

He says there is no way the mom was trying to fake looking out of sorts.

Schenecker and her children were seeking help with a family crisis counselor after her daughter, 16-year old Calyx, called police in November reporting her mom hit her . 

Police say they found Schenecker drenched in blood Friday at her Tampa Palms home after she shot her own children with a .38-caliber pistol.

Brian Gonzalez is a criminal defense attorney.  "Insanity in general is a difficult row to hoe. It's not successful very often. Juries don't like it. It's a very difficult burden to meet," he said.

Difficult even if Schenecker did crack under the weight of her own burdens: a husband overseas, a health condition, or perhaps mental health issues.

Navarro says these are only explanations and not excuses.

"It's the kind of thing how much can one person, how much stress can they take, and how do they deal with that and it's not an excuse. But when you look at the residue of their life, what you begin to see is a debris field of events," said Navarro.