California woman who stabbed boyfriend 100 times gets slap on the wrist
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A woman in California who stabbed the man she was dating more than 100 times in a weed-induced frenzy received no jail time.
Bryn Spejcher, 33, who stabbed 26-year-old Chad O’Melia, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., during a “cannabis-induced psychosis” was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.
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A jury found Spejcher guilty in December, but Superior Court Judge David Worley said his sentence was based on the woman’s lack of culpability, the Ventura County Star reported.
Worley ruled that Spejcher had “no control over her actions” when she went into a psychotic episode following the bong hits of marijuana the couple smoked, resulting in her stabbing O’Melia repeatedly while they were in his apartment on May 28, 2018.
Spejcher and O’Melia had only been dating a few weeks before his “senseless” killing, court heard.
When police arrived at the scene, they found the knife-wielding Spejcher covered in blood, crying hysterically next to O’Melia’s body.
Spejcher plunged the knife into her own throat when police attempted to disarm her.
Spejcher’s lawyers argued that their client was an inexperienced pot smoker who became “involuntarily intoxicated” at the time of the killing.
They also stated that O’Melia made her take a second bong hit after not getting high off the first one. It was the second hit that triggered an adverse reaction, reported the Ventura County Star
Under California law, a person is seen as responsible for their actions when impaired by drugs or alcohol — unless their intoxication is involuntary.
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A sobbing Spejcher apologized to the victim’s father, Sean O’Melia.
“My actions have ripped your family apart,” she said, according to the outlet. “I am broken and aching inside. I hurt that you’ll never see Chad again.”
Sean O’Melia, however, accused the judge of bias and claimed his ruling set a dangerous precedent.
“He just gave everyone in the state of California who smokes marijuana a licence to kill someone.”
The victim’s uncle, Brendan O’Melia, added: “There is no winner in this tragedy. There can be, however, accountability.”
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