Andrea Faust, 41, Plans Insanity Defense in Son's Killing as Clancy Jury Deliberates
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 31
Andrea Faust, 41, Plans Insanity Defense in Son's Killing as Clancy Jury Deliberates
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 31
Summary
Andrea Faust, 41, has notified a North Carolina court she will pursue not guilty by reason of insanity and diminished capacity in the Feb. 12 killing of her 3-year-old son and attempted killing of her 23-month-old son.
A defense expert concluded Faust could not distinguish right from wrong at the time, her lawyer said, while another evaluation is expected to examine her mental state during the alleged offenses.
Faust was found incapable of proceeding in March amid mental-health and safety concerns, but Central Regional Hospital later ruled her competent to stand trial as of May 21.
The filing has drawn comparisons to Lindsay Clancy's Massachusetts murder trial, where jurors ended a second day of deliberations Friday without a verdict on her claim of lack of criminal responsibility.
Retired judge Jack Lu said Clancy's nationally watched case could make mental-health defenses more common, though juries still rarely accept them—especially when children are the victims.