On March 13, 2009, Mina Weiler, 60, was killed in her own home–and by her own son. Her 21-year-old son, Christopher Benjamin Weiler, was arrested by Colorado officials after his mother’s body was found in her house. Her body was badly beaten, reportedly due to Christopher Weiler having fatally attacked her with a guitar.
While this sounds like a brutal case of murder, Christopher Weiler’s defense attorney brings up a good point. The Colorado court’s ruling yesterday proves that more than anything, this is a tragic case of someone who was never properly diagnosed and treated for his mental illness.
This case just didn’t make sense and prompted the court to order a psychiatric evaluation of Christopher Weiler. The evaluation, according to a qualified psychiatrist, identifies Weiler as a schizophrenic who could not have capably considered right and wrong when he killed his mother. The psychiatrist testified that, based on his work with Weiler, he thinks that Weiler truly believed that he was killing his mom in order to fulfill her wishes.
Weiler was evaluated over the course of the past year, making the expert’s testimony that he is insane a reliable and pivotal aspect that motivated the Colorado judge’s ruling. The judge declared that Weiler was not guilty due to legal insanity and sentenced him to no time in jail. Weiler will indefinitely be placed in the Colorado Mental Health Institute, where he will be properly supervised and given the professional attention he lacked throughout his life.
According to sources, Weiler’s family, including his father, was in the audience when the judge announced his not guilty ruling on Wednesday. His dad is glad that the legal proceedings are over, but mourns over his sick son.
Resource
The Gazette: Springs man who beat mom to death with guitar ruled insane