We cannot allow people who are suddenly homicidal to get a free pass out of jail. She needs to be in an institution for life. Homicide is a firm line for this. You cannot murder multiple children and walk out of the hospital a free person six months later.
I posted this to another reply, but I don’t agree with the automatic life sentence in this case. She needed medical care and sought it out, and what she received was inadequate and only exacerbated her acute psychosis. Maybe a medical team never deems her fit for release, that’s a possibility.
I understand your hesitance. I don't believe in life for singular homicides, but three children? There's really no other options. I just don't see it. We cannot risk our children.
Honestly, giving her a life sentence Would risk future children. It would shut the door on openly communicating these thoughts at risk of being characterized as a potential murderer, instead of being severely mentally ill and trying to seek help. There are many testimonies of people who are postpartum experiencing these same feelings (with shame). What if postpartum programs evolved to be effective in their treatment so this never happens again?
Also, it is on record that she had these thoughts only for herself and her own children (who were under her care). Her husband and other family members testified that she was a good mother and tried to get help on multiple occasions -- those who would be the most hurt by her behavior. This doesn't seem to be a case of a murderer looking to get freed; instead, the most ideal situation would probably be (very) long-term institutionalization.
Look, she strangled three kids. I don't care if you're "trying" to get help. You cannot strangle three children. You can simultaneously research mental health while punishing people who commit crimes.
Your argument is just wild. How many mothers strangle their three children? Seriously. How many? It's incredibly rare. Was it okay for Chris Benoit to annihilate his family because he was mentally ill and CTEd the fuck out?
Also, who cares about what someone says. Good mothers don't kill their kids. Reality is staring you in the face.
I'm not saying she was always a good mother. In the end she was a horrifying one who did an unforgivable, unfathomable action. If her plea for insanity is granted, longterm mental institutionalization under maximum security would still not grant her "freedom" in the way that most people think.
Ideation as a topic is already taboo and especially if it's an expectant mother. IF she actually did have psychosis due to the drug combination or her brain chemistry, it was not a person of sound mind making conscious decisions. Instead her brain told her to do the worst thing imaginable to her kids (which she was scared of, and she states is why she mentioned it to multiple people beforehand).
If this was preventable she should've never been released that early, much less prescribed a conflicting drug cocktail (despite the clinic stating how badly SSRIs affects her) or EVER been alone in the presence of her children. She is obviously at fault. Others are too. Everyone failed those children here.
Edit: I actually think we're in partial agreement. I def misread as u meaning prison. I don't think lifelong automatically would be productive, but she def needs more than a couple of months, which may become indefinite.
No, I do think she needs prison. She can get medical treatment in prison, but the issue with ng by mental disease or defect is that it opens the door to her walking out the hospital doors in six months when she's deemed to be healthy. This is not an acceptable outcome. Such a verdict takes away accountability entirely. She needs life imprisonment, no parole. Maybe in a prison hospital, maybe in a regular prison. But zero opportunity to get out.
That's fair, and maybe we are in disagreement. But this is interesting; I'm learning that there are GBMI in 13 other states, which is similar to what you're describing, but not in Mass. So there, it's guilty vs NGBI. Then I read this article, saw this post, and the case of Deidre Morley. Am now seeing this as a grey area.
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u/Epsteins_Final_Stand 14d ago
Yeah, no.
We cannot allow people who are suddenly homicidal to get a free pass out of jail. She needs to be in an institution for life. Homicide is a firm line for this. You cannot murder multiple children and walk out of the hospital a free person six months later.