 Ann Rule began corresponding with Green in 1996 , and interviewed her in person in 1997 . Rule recalls in her book on the case that Green 's letters denied any unhappy childhood memories . Green claimed that though her behavior in the summer and fall of 1995 had been neglectful , she had neither the desire nor the wherewithal to set fire to her house or harm her children or her husband . Rule — who is neither a doctor nor a psychologist , but has a background in criminology and law enforcement — believes that even Green does not understand what caused her to attempt to murder Michael Farrar beyond the fact that she had come to hate him . Rule 's theory is that in destroying Farrar , Green would have been able to preserve her own ego , in that Farrar would not have been able to leave her for another woman . Psychiatrist Michael H. Stone , using Rule 's book as a source of information about Green , identifies Green as showing characteristics of psychopathy , borderline personality disorder , and narcissistic personality disorder . 
