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A renowned New York City psychiatrist, Dr. Pamela Buchbinder, was recently convicted in the 2012 attempted murder case of her former lover, Dr. Michael Weiss (also a psychiatrist).
Although Pamela's involvement was indirect, it was alleged that she manipulated her mentally disturbed cousin, Jake Nolan, and plotted a brutal attack on Weiss, which failed. Nolan was convicted in 2016 for his role in the attack.
Buchbinder recently pleaded guilty to lesser charges of burglary and first-degree attempted assault and has now been sentenced to 11 years in prison. The NYC-based shrink is currently serving her sentence at New York State Prison.
An upcoming episode of 48 Hours on CBS is slated to further examine the case and its various developments over the course of ten years. The episode, titled The Psychiatrist and the Selfie, will air on the channel this Saturday, November 5, 2022, at 9 pm ET.
How Pamela Buchbinder tried to change her plea
Dr. Pamela Buchbinder allegedly plotted to have her ex-husband, Dr. Michael Weiss, killed over a prolonged custody battle. She also had intentions to claim insurance money.
Despite being repeatedly stabbed and beaten, Weiss managed to survive the attack. Buchbinder was reportedly described as an "evil genius" in court, a depiction that her defense strongly argued.
Earlier this year, on September 7, Pamela pleaded guilty to planning the murder of her child's father. This development in the case came about a decade after the incident originally occurred. Pamela has been in custody since she was arrested in 2017.
In an attempt to change her guilty plea, the NYC-based psychiatrist managed to stage a dramatic scene in court prior to her sentencing. She alleged that she was "maced" by guards and had contact high from others smoking K2 on the bus back from prison.
Nevertheless, the court acted quickly in the sentencing process and issued a predetermined sentence of 11 years, followed by five years of supervised release. However, they did take into consideration all the years that Pamela has already been in custody following her 2017 arrest.
After the sentencing, Buchbinder's defense attorney reportedly said:
"She’ll do about four more years. She’s already served over half of her sentence."
Pamela Buchbinder's former partner, Michael Weiss, stated:
"While I am grateful that this day has arrived, it has not brought me the sense of relief, or the feeling of closure that I had hoped it would. Although it has been almost 10 years since I was attacked, I still struggle with the emotional and physical scars of what happened to me on November 12, 2012."
He continued:
"I still find it difficult to understand how any of this could have happened, and I struggle to comprehend the type of hatred that would lead someone to plan such a deliberate, personal and brutal attack."
Pamela Buchbinder manipulated her mentally disturbed cousin into killing her former partner
The 52-year-old Pamela Buchbinder was initially facing initial second-degree attempted murder and first-degree attempted assault charges. She subsequently claimed that she coerced and "brainwashed" her 19-year-old cousin, Jake Nolan, to kill Michael Weiss at his home office and pleaded guilty to lesser charges.
Sources state that the night before the November 12, 2012 assault, she allegedly went to the Home Depot on West 23rd Street with Nolan and bought a 10-pound sledgehammer using cash. Additionally, Buchbinder handed her cousin a kitchen knife - which was later used in the attack - along with a hand-drawn map showing how to access Weiss' home office on West 57th Street.
Buchbinder reportedly hatched the plan after bickering with Weiss about their then-6-year-old son's visitation. However, the plan failed and Weiss was eventually granted full custody of their kid. Prosecutors also claimed that in the days prior to the attack, Pamela Buchbinder persuaded her ex-partner to list her as a beneficiary on his $1.5 million life insurance policy.
Nolan was also found guilty of attempted murder in 2016 and was given a 9 1/2-year at the New York state prison.
CBS 48 Hours airs this Saturday, November 5, 2022, at 9 pm ET.
