The Shocking Case Of Billy Milligan: DID, Crime, And Controversy

Gennaro Vandervort 01 Jun 2025

Can a person be held accountable for crimes they don't consciously commit? The disturbing case of Billy Milligan, a man acquitted of heinous crimes due to dissociative identity disorder, challenges the very foundation of our justice system and forces us to confront the complexities of the human mind.

William Stanley Milligan, better known as Billy Milligan, became a household name in the late 1970s not for his achievements, but for the controversy surrounding his criminal trial. Accused of kidnapping, robbery, and the rape of three women on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus in 1977, Milligan’s case took an unprecedented turn when his defense team argued that he suffered from multiple personality disorder (now known as dissociative identity disorder, or DID) and that his actions were controlled by alter egos without his awareness. This defense hinged on the assertion that two of his personalities, Ragen and Adalana, were responsible for the crimes. The jury's decision to acquit Milligan by reason of insanity on December 4, 1978, marked a pivotal moment in legal history, making him the first person to be acquitted of major crimes using this defense. The verdict ignited a fierce debate about the validity of DID and its potential misuse within the legal system. Was justice truly served, or was a dangerous criminal allowed to walk free?

Category	Information
Full Name	William Stanley Milligan
Alias	Billy Milligan
Date of Birth	February 14, 1955
Place of Birth	Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Date of Death	December 12, 2014
Place of Death	Columbus, Ohio, USA
Cause of Death	Cancer
Nationality	American
Legal Case	Acquitted of kidnapping, robbery, and rape due to insanity caused by Multiple Personality Disorder (now Dissociative Identity Disorder) in 1978.
Diagnosis	Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly Multiple Personality Disorder). Originally misdiagnosed with Schizophrenia.
Criminal History	Arrested for kidnapping and rape in 1972 in Circleville, Ohio. Convicted in February 1973 and committed to a juvenile institution. Later charged with and acquitted of rapes and robberies in 1977.
Defense Strategy	First person to use Multiple Personality Disorder as a legal defense in 1978, claiming that alter egos committed the crimes.
Impact on Legal System	The case sparked significant controversy and debate about the validity of DID and its use as a legal defense.
Media Portrayals	Subject of the book "The Minds of Billy Milligan" by Daniel Keyes (1981). Inspiration for characters in film and television, including Tom Holland's character, Danny Sullivan, in "The Crowded Room."
Childhood Trauma	Suffered severe abuse from his stepfather, which is believed to have contributed to the development of his Dissociative Identity Disorder.
Additional Information	Made a guest appearance on the local Athens television series, "45701," in 1984.
Reference Website	American Psychiatric Association - Dissociative Identity Disorder