A New Jersey woman charged in the 2021 death of her 5-month-old daughter has been found not guilty by reason of insanity, NJ.com reported Monday.
Kristhie I. Alcazar, 30, of Penns Grove, told police she killed her child to “fulfill the last of her sins, murder,” according to court documents cited by the outlet.
“We understand that the Court carefully weighed the evidence and expert testimony presented during the trial,” Jeffrey J. Barile, first assistant prosecutor at the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, told Newsweek.
NJ.com previously reported that Alcazar was represented by a Salem County public defender. Newsweek reached out to the Salem County Office of the Public Defender for confirmation and comment.
Why It Matters
Alcazar’s case was decided in a bench trial, meaning a judge — not a jury — delivered the verdict, NJ.com reported. Superior Court Judge Russell DePersia reviewed extensive evidence about Alcazar’s mental health leading up to the killing.
A psychiatric evaluation concluded that while Alcazar understood the “nature and quality of her actions” that day, she “did not understand that her actions were wrong,” the judge said while reading from a doctor’s report, according to NJ.com.
What To Know
Police went to Alcazar’s home on December 3, 2021, after a 911 call came in with an “audible disturbance in the background.”
Alcazar’s mother told officers her daughter was experiencing a “traumatic episode,” NJ.com reported. She then ran upstairs and found the baby dead in a bedroom, the outlet said.
Prosecutors said the child had multiple stab wounds to the chest. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Authorities stated that Alcazar admitted to stabbing her daughter and led officers to a blood-covered knife in a bathroom sink, NJ.com reported.
A Salem County grand jury indicted Alcazar in 2022 on several charges, including purposeful and knowing murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to the outlet.
What People Are Saying
Barile told Newsweek that a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity triggers a strict legal review process in New Jersey, involving ongoing court supervision and oversight by prosecutors “designed to protect both the defendant and the public.”
Penns Grove police director Richard Rivera said in 2021 that the case was “a tragic loss for the family and our community,” NJ.com reported.
What Happens Next
NJ.com reported that Alcazar will be moved from jail to the Ann Klein Forensic Center, a state psychiatric hospital in Trenton, for further evaluation. Doctors will assess whether she remains a danger to herself or others and whether continued confinement is necessary.
The judge also said Alcazar will remain under court-ordered supervision for life, NJ.com reported.
