Martin Blinder, the forensic psychiatrist whose testimony in a landmark American murder trial gave rise to the controversial phrase ‘Twinkie Defense’, has died at the age of 89.
Martin George Blinder, an American forensic psychiatrist known for his role in the 1979 trial of former San Francisco supervisor Dan White, died on October 30, 2026, at his home in San Anselmo, California. He was 89. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer.
Blinder came into the national spotlight during the trial of Dan White, who was charged with murdering San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and city supervisor Harvey Milk on November 27, 1978, inside San Francisco City Hall.
During the 1979 trial, Blinder appeared as a defence expert witness and testified that White had been suffering from depression and intense psychological pressure before the killings. He described behavioural changes in White, including his departure from a previously disciplined lifestyle and increased consumption of sugary foods and junk food, particularly Twinkies and Coca-Cola.
Blinder suggested that these dietary changes were associated with White's depressive episodes and may have aggravated his psychological condition. His testimony became widely publicised and was subsequently labelled the ‘Twinkie Defense’, creating the impression that White's consumption of junk food was being offered as an excuse for the murders.
However, the actual defence strategy centred on diminished capacity. The argument was that White's psychological condition affected his ability to form the specific intent required for a first-degree murder conviction, rather than claiming that eating sugary food directly caused the killings.
On May 21, 1979, the jury found White guilty of voluntary manslaughter rather than murder. The verdict triggered widespread public outrage, particularly among supporters of Harvey Milk, and led to the infamous White Night riots in San Francisco.
The controversy surrounding the verdict contributed to subsequent legal reforms in California. In 1982, voters approved Proposition 8, which abolished the diminished capacity defence under California law.
Beyond the Dan White trial, Blinder had an extensive career in psychiatry and forensic medicine. He served as an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and an adjunct professor of law at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He also contributed to the development and acceptance of lithium carbonate as a treatment for bipolar disorder.
Blinder's testimony remains an important example of the intersection between forensic psychiatry and criminal law, demonstrating how expert psychological evidence can influence courtroom arguments, public perception and the development of criminal justice legislation.