Crime & Safety

Daily Record: Morris Twp. Woman Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity in Daughter's Murder

Woman was accused of suffocating her two daughters; one survived.

The Morris Township woman who killed her 4-year-old daughter and tried to kill her 6-year-old was suffering from a delusion and unable to determine right from wrong, a Morris County Judge agreed Thursday.

Superior Court Judge Thomas Manahan agreed Thursday to a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity Thursday for Jenny Lizette Erazo-Rodriguez, according to a report published on DailyRecord.com.

“This is such a very tragic and gut-wrenching case," Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said in a statement sent to Patch. "But, the fact is that all experts, ranging from the prosecution, defense, and treatment facilities all agree strongly that Ms. Erazo-Rodriguez was suffering under a command delusion at the time of the incident and was unable to determine that her actions were wrong because of the delusion she was suffering from."

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Police have said the 4-year-old and Erazo-Rodriguez's 6-year-old daughter were suffocated while their father was at work in August of 2009. Only the 6-year-old survived.

According to the DailyRecord.com report, a psychiatrist testified Thursday that Erazo-Rodriguez believed she heard go a voice from God, ordering her to kill herself and her two daughters. The judge civilly committed her to the care of the state Department of Human Services.

Find out what's happening in Morris Township-Morris Plainswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Both Binachi's office and a public defender had previously recommended the insanity finding.

"While this kind of command delusion is very rare in excusing criminal responsibility under the law, in an instance such as this, the law is very clear and this was the appropriate disposition given the legal and factual considerations and Ms. Erazo Rodriguez’s mental state on the date of the incident," Bianchi said in the statement sent to Patch. "Based upon the judge’s finding she would be subject to review for release for the remainder of her life."


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