Arrest warrants have been issued for Randy and Evi Quaid after the couple failed to show up at their Santa Barbara, Videos

Arrest Warrants Issued for Randy and Evi Quaid After Couple Misses Hearing Lawyer Says Couple Still in Canada
By KIM CAROLLO, Nov. 5, 2010

Tags: Randy Quaid, Evi Quaid, folie a deux, star whackers, delusion, delusional, psychotic, exile, Canada, court, vandalism, arraignment, warrant, health news, health, health information, health news, medical news, Dr. Tim, Dr. Tim Johnson, Dr. Timothy Johnson, John McKenzie, abc news online, abcnews.com, online news


Arrest warrants have been issued for Randy and Evi Quaid after the couple failed to show up at their Santa Barbara, Calif. court hearing this morning. The warrant for Evi is effectively immediately, but Randy's is being held until November 16 because he has another hearing to attend in Canada next week, according to Judge Donna Deck. Their failure to show up in court also means that the couple lost half the $1 million bond they posted to guarantee their appearance.

The Quaids were scheduled to be arraigned on felony vandalism charges stemming from a September incident that involved the couple allegedly trashing and squatting in a home they previously owned. Their attorney, Robert Sanger, said the couple didn't show up because Randy is scheduled to appear in a Canadian court for an immigration hearing. But the judge didn't think that was a good excuse for Evi, which is why her warrant was issued.

In response to the vandalism charges, Sanger said the signatures on the house's deed were forged and that the house does belong to the Quaids.

The prosecutor said the state is considering extraditing the couple, but hasn't made an official decision yet.

The couple is in Canada supposedly out of fear that they will be hunted down and killed by a group of people Randy calls "star whackers." The Quaids told ABC's "Good Morning America" in an exclusive interview that they believe this group is responsible for the deaths of actors Health Ledger and David Carradine. They also claim that the police who arrested them in October for living in the guest house of a home they previously owned are also trying to kill them.

Aside from the legal implications of their actions, some psychological experts say their behavior may indicate mental health issues as well. Specifically, they say, Randy and Evi Quaid's fears that someone is out to get them could be due to a rare psychiatric syndrome.

"To me, it really does sound like folie a deux syndrome," said Michelle Golland, a Hollywood-based clinical psychologist.

Folie a deux syndrome is characterized by delusional beliefs that are shared between two people who are closely related. It's also known as shared psychotic disorder. In some cases, the syndrome involves more than two people sharing delusions.

"It's probably one of the most under-diagnosed psychiatric disorders," said Dr. Harold Bursztajn, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Bursztajn said it's a rare disorder, but is actually more common than people think.

"We see it a good deal in cults and also sometimes in Munchausen by proxy syndrome," he said.

Mental health experts, none of whom have any association with Randy or Evi Quaid, say there are a number of factors that contribute to folie a deux. Even though it's sometimes difficult to diagnose, it can be treated. If the Quaids do suffer from it, the experts say they need to get treatment.

Golland believes that Randy Quaid started on the path to paranoia around 2008, after he was banned for life from the Actors Equity Association, the professional stage actors union, for reportedly abusive and inappropriate behavior during rehearsals and performances of the play "Lone Star."

"Being removed from that group may have been the pivotal moment," said Golland. "It may have gotten much worse since then." She also believes the difficulty Quaid had finding work and the family estrangement that followed could have contributed to the syndrome's manifestation as well.

If these incidents led Quaid to feel a great deal of loss or caused his self-esteem to take a big hit, it may have indeed been a trigger for his delusions, experts said.

"If you have a choice between losing your sense of self or becoming delusional, it's easier to become delusional," said Bursztajn.

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