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Levi Aron, Accused Of Killing 8-Year-Old Leiby Kletzky, Gives Jailhouse Interview

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A new, twisted picture of Levi Aron is emerging courtesy of the accused child killer himself. In a jailhouse interview with the Daily News, he reportedly revealed why he allegedly took Leiby Kletzky's life on that fateful day in Brooklyn.

As Aron awaits his court appearance, he spoke from the infirmary at Rikers Island. In the interview, he seemed detached about the brutal killing and butchering of the child.

EXTRA: Levi Aron Disclosure (PDF)

"I don't know what happened. I just panicked," Aron said, appearing to again confess to murdering and butchering the 8-year-old boy.

"It hurts too much to think about it," Aron told the News, discussing what he referred to as "the incident."

To most details, Aron merely said, "I don't know." He added only "I remember little things" and when asked why he took the boy and kept him, he said, "He looked familiar. I thought I knew him."

Reporter Reuven Blau said Aron did not want to speak of the killing, the dismemberment or even the drugging of the child.

"He seemed like he was on some heavy medications. He was blinking a lot...When I pressed him about the incident, the killing...it seemed like he was ashamed and embarrassed by what happened.  It seemed like he understood this is wrong," Blau said.

At the Brooklyn warehouse where Aron worked, his boss said no one suspected anything the day after the killing.

"He came in the next day, Tuesday morning as regular, and all I can say is that he flipped," Ben Klein said.

Kletzky got lost on his way home. Aron spotted the boy and said he took him to a wedding in upstate Monsey. The next day, Aron said he panicked when he saw the missing child posters. That's when he allegedly drugged and smothered Kletzky, who fought back to no avail. He then allegedly butchered Kletzky's body.

A recent court-ordered psychiatric report found Aron to be mentally ill. Doctors who examined him at Kings County Hospital called him troubled and confused. Aron told doctors he hears voices which told him to hurt himself and others.

Aron's sister was schizophrenic. According to doctors, Aron has suffered nightmares since the killing and has difficulty acknowledging what happened.

Aron has not been diagnosed as a schizophrenic and Dr. Paul Appelbaum, a psychiatrist not connected with the case, said that violence "is very unusual in schitzophrenia."

"I remember little things," Aron told the News.

Aron has pleaded not guilty, and has been found fit to stand trial. His attorneys are eyeing an insanity defense.

Aron is being held at Rikers Island in the infirmary, where he is on suicide watch.

Do you think Aron is insane? If convicted, what is the appropriate punishment in this case? Sound off in our comments section.

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