The father of three young children killed by their mother is asking a judge to force a psychologist who evaluated her to turn over records that he says could be central to his lawsuit against Los Angeles authorities.
Erik Denton, whose three children were killed by their mother, Liliana Carrillo, in 2021, alleges in his civil lawsuit that Los Angeles police failed to take warning signs about Carrillo’s deteriorating mental health seriously and did not adequately share information with county social workers.
Denton, who filed the lawsuit in April 2022, is suing Los Angeles County and others over the deaths.
“This case arises from the death of plaintiff’s three children who were murdered by their mother, Liliana Carrillo, while she was suffering from severe mental health issues,” Denton’s attorneys wrote in court papers. “Her mental health is a central issue in the case.”
Ahead of a Sept. 14 hearing, Denton’s lawyers asked Pasadena Superior Court Judge Jared Moses to order psychologist Dianna Lynn Barnes to comply with a subpoena seeking records related to her evaluation of Carrillo.
Barnes has resisted the request, maintaining that the records are privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure, according to Denton’s attorneys.
Carrillo’s mental health was evaluated by several professionals as part of the criminal case against her, including Barnes and psychiatrist Dr. David S. Rad.
According to Denton’s court filings, Rad cited Barnes’ findings in his own report. Barnes concluded that Carrillo suffered from bipolar disorder with peripartum onset and post-traumatic stress disorder and that her bipolar disorder left her unable to understand that her actions were morally wrong, Denton’s attorneys said.
A process server delivered notice of Denton’s motion to Barnes’ Westlake Village office on Aug. 13, according to the filings.
Carrillo was 33 when her children — 6-month-old Sierra, 3-year-old Joanna and 2-year-old Terry — were killed on April 10, 2021.
In October 2024, Carrillo was found not guilty by reason of insanity in their killings. She was subsequently committed to a state mental health facility, where she remains subject to continuing judicial oversight.
Denton’s lawsuit now puts Carrillo’s mental health history at the center of a separate legal fight over whether authorities failed to respond adequately to warning signs before the children’s deaths.