All articles tagged with #insanity plea
Nick Reiner's family has cut him off due to his erratic and threatening behavior while in custody for the alleged murder of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. His defense attorney withdrew citing his uncooperative behavior, and Reiner is expected to plead insanity, though proving this will be challenging given his actions and mental health diagnosis of schizophrenia.
The suspect in the ambush killing of a Palmdale sheriff's deputy, Kevin Cantaneo Salazar, pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity in court. Salazar, who has been charged with murder, faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted. The district attorney, George Gascón, reiterated his opposition to seeking the death penalty, stating that it does not serve as a deterrent and does not bring victims back. Salazar's family has stated that he has mental health issues, including schizophrenia, and believes his alleged actions may have been a result of mental illness. The district attorney claims to have evidence disputing the insanity claim, citing Salazar's awareness when purchasing the gun and holding a job. Salazar is being held without bail, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for November.
Taylor Schabusiness, a Wisconsin woman, smirked and made a "finger gun" gesture in court as graphic details emerged about the meth-fueled murder of her lover, Shad Thyrion. Witnesses testified that Thyrion was brutally strangled, decapitated, and dismembered, with his body parts placed throughout the basement of his home. Schabusiness pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to charges of intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, and sexual assault. Prosecutors allege that after a methamphetamine-fueled sexual encounter, Schabusiness strangled Thyrion and then spent hours mutilating his body. The trial continues, with prosecutors expected to present Schabusiness's police interview in which she admitted to the crime.
Jon Routh, who ran over a Springfield police officer in 2020, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The officer was left paralyzed after the incident. Routh was facing a class A felony charge of first-degree assault, but all parties agreed to the insanity plea, which will have Routh committed to the custody of the Department of Mental Health. Surveillance video showed Routh circling the parking lot outside of police headquarters before accelerating and driving toward the officer, striking him with the vehicle. Routh had sent messages prior to the incident indicating his intention to harm police officers.
Letecia Stauch has been found guilty on all counts, including first-degree murder, murder of a child under 12 by a person in a position of trust, tampering with physical evidence, and tampering with a deceased human being, in the murder of her 11-year-old stepson Gannon in 2020. Stauch had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming she suffered a major psychotic episode as a result of childhood trauma when she killed Gannon. The judge will sentence her later today.
The fate of Letecia Stauch, accused of murdering her 11-year-old stepson Gannon, is now in the hands of a jury. Stauch is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, with her attorneys arguing that she suffered from dissociative identity disorder at the time of the murder. The state argued that Stauch's actions were calculated, not insane, and that evidence shows she knew right from wrong. The jury was dismissed for the weekend and will return on Monday to continue deliberation.
Jeremy Webster, 28, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring his mother and two others in a 2018 road rage attack in Colorado. Webster, who did not know the victims, followed them and opened fire. He was convicted of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and assault. Webster had entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, but the jury rejected it.
Letecia Stauch, who is on trial for killing her 11-year-old stepson Gannon Stauch, denied killing him during a phone call with her then-husband. Gannon's remains were found in a suitcase under a bridge on the Florida Panhandle in March 2020. Prosecutors allege that Letecia Stauch stabbed Gannon 18 times, shot him, and then drove across the country with his body, dumping the suitcase over the side of the bridge. The defense claims she suffered a "major psychotic crack" due to childhood trauma. Letecia Stauch has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Letecia Stauch, a Colorado woman accused of murdering her stepson Gannon Stauch, is set to face trial for 13 charges including first-degree murder, child abuse causing death, and tampering with evidence. Gannon was reported missing in January 2020 and his remains were found in Florida. Letecia has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The trial, which has been more than three years in the making, began with jury selection on Monday.