Attorneys: Slaying suspect 'hears voices'

An 8-year-old Borough Park boy likely put up a fight with his attacker before being smothered, police said Thursday as lawyers for the suspected killer told a judge he "hears voices and has had some hallucinations."

Levi Aron, 35, of Brooklyn, clad in a green checked shirt and dark slacks, didn't speak during his brief arraignment Thursday before Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge William Miller. Through his attorneys, Aron pleaded not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder in connection with the abduction and dismemberment of Leiby Kletzky.

Prosecutors Julie Rendelman and Linda Weinman said Aron smothered Leiby at some point after he had what police determined was a chance encounter Monday with the young boy on a Borough Park street.

During the hearing, one of Aron's lawyers, Pierre Bazile of Huntington Station, raised concerns with the judge about Aron's mental status.

"He has indicated to me that he hears voices and has had some hallucinations," Bazile said during the proceeding. Aron's other attorney, Gerard Marrone, told Newsday he was trying to ascertain Aron's psychological makeup in order to fashion a defense strategy. The case is before a grand jury. Miller ordered the store clerk to undergo a mental health exam. The judge also ordered Aron be held without bail in protective custody on a suicide watch.

Also Thursday, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters that police still don't have a specific time of death for Leiby, whose remains were found in Aron's home refrigerator and in a trash bin early Wednesday. Kelly said detectives don't believe Leiby was sexually abused, but indicated that the child may have been tied up and struggled before he was smothered.

"He did say words to the effect that he was sorry for the trouble he had caused," said Kelly about Aron's statement to police. But Aron hasn't indicated any remorse, Kelly added.

Leiby was lost on his way home from day camp when he encountered Aron at about 5:40 p.m. Monday. After driving with Leiby to look for a bookstore where the child was to meet his mother, Aron said, he drove with the boy to upstate Spring Valley for an Orthodox wedding reception that started around 7:30 p.m., according to police.

Investigators said they confirmed Aron showed up at a reception for about 500 people held at the Ateres Charna Wedding Hall, but can't say Leiby was there. Izzy Goldstein, owner of the hall, said police took surveillance tapes and videography of the reception. Goldstein said the casual summer clothes Leiby was wearing would have contrasted to the dark suits and white shirts worn by other boys and that no one remembers seeing him or Aron.

A law enforcement official said Aron told police he stayed only a short while at the reception because of a bad back and drove back to Brooklyn, arriving around 11:30 p.m. Monday. Police believe Aron killed Leiby sometime Tuesday, the official said.

Police Thursday probed the backyard of Aron's home for signs of other remains but found none, said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne. Kelly said the suspect had scratches on him, a sign of "some kind of struggle."

A preliminary examination revealed the boy was "smothered or suffocated," Kelly said.

A written confession in the slaying said, "I'm sorry for the hurt that I caused," Kelly said Thursday at a news conference.

With Emily Ngo