Mitchell mentally ill since youth?

Accused Elizabeth Smart kidnapper Brian David Mitchell was portrayed Thursday in court testimony as a person under great distress who has likely suffered some type of mental illness since he was a juvenile.

In the second day of Mitchell's mental competency hearing, Dr. Stephen Golding was the only person who testified.

Golding is a psychologist who has twice found Mitchell incompetent to stand trial. In a report he submitted to the court Feb. 7, Golding said he found Mitchell suffers from both a delusional disorder and a paranoid personality disorder.

Golding said he also hadn't ruled out the possibility that Mitchell might also be paranoid schizophrenic.

The competency hearing has lasted longer than expected. Atherton set the hearing to resume on March 11, the second anniversary of the day Elizabeth Smart was found. Golding is expected to finish at that time, and prosecutors will call to the witness stand Dr. Noel Gardner, who has twice concluded that Mitchell is competent to stand trial.

Mitchell, 51, and Wanda Barzee, 59, were indicted by a state grand jury Sept. 4, 2003.

They were charged with aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of aggravated burglary and conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping.

It was silent when Mitchell was led into the courtroom Thursday, as if everyone expected another outburst of song from the defendant.

Shortly after taking his seat, Mitchell began singing the LDS hymn "High on the Mountain Top." He was removed from the courtroom after just 18 seconds.

Golding said the former street preacher did not sing to be disruptive or manipulative in court. He was simply trying to soothe himself.

"He's mothering himself," Golding said. "He sings songs that give him peace."

Golding noted that Mitchell sings whether he's in court or out of court and whether he has an audience or not. Mitchell's thought process is to sing religious songs as a way of communicating, Golding said.

"He thinks in terms of hymns," he said.

Golding described Mitchell as being "extraordinarily tense" because he feels he's constantly walking a line between eternal damnation on one side and God on the other.

"He must discern signs properly or his soul will be lost" is the way Mitchell thinks, according to Golding.