Judge: Simi Valley Woman Insane When She Killed Mother
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Posted by: Pablo Pereira, Meteorologist / Reporter - bio
VENTURA, Calif. (AP) - A Ventura County judge says a Simi Valley woman was legally insane when she killed her mother, stabbing the 69-year-old 40 times.
The Ventura County Star reports 46-year-old Lauren Donahue pleaded guilty to first degree murder Wednesday. Immediately after, the judge ruled she was not guilty by reason of insanity.
Superior Court Judge Charles Campbell relied on court documents and mental health reports that detailed abandonment, sexual molestation, the death of a brother in Iraq, her husband's suicide and placement in numerous health facilities.
Donahue killed 69-year-old Rose Weiss in a bathroom in 2008 before dragging her body to the backyard to hide it in thick shrubbery.
Campbell says Donahue could spend the rest of her life in a state mental health facility.
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