severe dependent personality character neurosis (Tr. 160).


4
The defense also introduced testimony of appellant's brother and sister concerning his sanity.  Both related incidents and observations of appellant's behavior during the deterioration of his marriage and his condition immediately prior to his wife's slaying.  Each witness had observed appellant's conduct over a period of years prior to the incident in April, 1968.1  John Pickett, appellant's brother, testified how appellant's marriage deteriorated.  After what seemed to be initially a good marriage, Mr. Pickett observed his younger brother "go down," i. e., appellant started to drink heavily and soon lost his job, along with experiencing marital difficulties (Tr. 189-92, 194-95).  Mr. Pickett went on to relate that appellant's condition worsened after he and his wife separated aroundJuly 12, 1968, he has been continuously confined in St. Elizabeths Hospital.  He was so confined before trial (for examination), after trial he was so confined a year before sentencing, and since sentence was imposed he has been confined at St. Elizabeths "for treatment" and on May 21, 1971 was diagnosed as suffering from paranoic schizophrenia.10  At trial the jury is free to reject this diagnosis and the opinions of appellant's brother and sister, but under the circumstances such testimony does have the potential to influence the jury and we therefore feel that the exclusion of the opinions of his brother and sister so injured the proper presentation of appellant's insanity defense that he must be afforded a new trial on that issue.  The appellant's