CNN
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The girl accused of stabbing an Indiana College scholar “has an extended historical past of extreme psychological sickness” and was “searching for assist managing her situation as much as and together with the day of the alleged assault,” based on her protection lawyer.
Billie Davis, who’s White, allegedly stated she was motivated by race when she repeatedly stabbed the scholar, who’s of Asian descent, on a metropolis bus in Bloomington on January eleventh, based on courtroom paperwork and a scholar group.
Davis and the sufferer had been driving individually on the bus, and when the sufferer tried to exit, Davis received up from her close by seat and allegedly stabbed the sufferer within the head with a folding knife, leaving puncture wounds, a possible trigger affidavit says.
In an announcement emailed to CNN, Kyle Dugger stated folks near the suspect describe no racist attitudes or historical past.
The 56-year-old has pleaded not responsible to expenses of tried homicide, aggravated battery, and battery by the use of a lethal weapon, based on on-line courtroom data.
“I’d warning the general public to not soar to conclusions about an individual’s ideas or beliefs based mostly on police claims from a single interview, and advise much more warning when the interview was taken from an individual in custody who could also be experiencing psychosis,” Dugger wrote.
In a courtroom submitting final week, Dugger stated he would search an madness protection and show Davis is “incapable of helping within the preparation of her protection due to psychological sickness.” On-line courtroom data present the courtroom has requested Davis to endure psychological well being evaluations.
Duggar additionally requested the courtroom to schedule a competency listening to. Two court-appointed psychiatrists will consider whether or not Davis was insane on the time of the alleged incident and if she’s competent to face trial, Dugger wrote in his emailed assertion. The choose will make the ultimate determination about her competency, doubtless in about three to 6 months, he stated.
The madness protection can be determined by the jury, Dugger wrote. “When madness is raised as a protection, the jury can return a verdict of responsible, not responsible, not responsible by cause of madness, or responsible however mentally ailing,” he stated.
If a person is discovered not responsible resulting from madness, prosecutors will transfer to have the person dedicated to the state Division of Psychological Well being and Dependancy, based on Dugger.
“The reality about why dangerous issues occur isn’t easy,” Dugger wrote in his assertion. “It’s a lot simpler to demonize an individual who does one thing we don’t perceive than it’s to attempt to work out the actual causes resulting in potential tragedy.”
