Ohio judge to decide on insanity defense in child slayings

Mar 12, 2023, 11:00 AM

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio judge is scheduled to decide this week on the validity of the insanity defense submitted by a man charged with fatally shooting two of his girlfriend’s three young sons and wounding the third.

Judge Eric Allen Marks last week heard assessments from two psychologists of the state of mind of 29-year-old Kevin Moore at the time of the February 2021 shootings in Toledo, The (Toledo) Blade reported.

Marks then recessed the nonjury trial until Thursday afternoon and must now decide whether Moore knew the wrongfulness of his actions when he shot the victims, killing 14-month-old Gabriel Phillips and 5-year-old Ahmir Phillips and wounding a 4-year-old boy.

Moore is charged with two counts of aggravated murder and single counts of attempted aggravated murder and felonious assault. A second felonious assault count was dismissed at the end of testimony last week.

One psychologist testified Thursday that decades ago he would have supported an insanity defense because Ohio law at the time required only proof of mental illness. Since then, he said, the standard has “become very, very strict” in requiring substantial evidence of inability to tell right from wrong.

He and another psychologist concluded that despite the defendant’s severe schizophrenic mental illness and gross overreaction to events in the home, he later demonstrated an understanding of having been in the wrong.

Defense attorney John Thebes, however, cited a third psychiatrist’s conclusion that Moore did qualify for an insanity defense under current law. He said the defendant’s rambling remarks and many of his actions were consistent with a schizophrenia patient not taking appropriate medication.

Prosecution witnesses, however, cited testimony from the children’s mother that Moore’s behavior appeared normal both before and after the crimes, and they said mental illness should have been evident beforehand if he was profoundly disturbed at the time.

National News

FILE - Kaley Cuoco arrives at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, Sept. 12, 2022, at the Microsoft Thea...
Associated Press

Kaley Cuoco has 1st child, a daughter, with Tom Pelphrey

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kaley Cuoco is flying high after giving birth to her first child. The star of “ Instagram Saturday that she and fellow actor Tom Pelphrey now have a daughter named Matilda Carmine Richie Pelphrey. “The new light of our lives!” Cuoco posted, along with a series of pictures of the baby, […]
14 hours ago
In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, the sun rises above the Atlantic Ocean in t...
Associated Press

Local teen wins 7 Mile Bridge Run in Florida Keys

MARATHON, Fla. (AP) — A Florida teenager and an Atlanta woman won the overall men’s and women’s divisions Saturday at a footrace across the longest of 42 highway bridges over water in the Florida Keys. Vaclav “Vance” Bursa, 15, of Big Pine Key, Florida, finished first overall in the annual 7 Mile Bridge Run, posting […]
14 hours ago
Associated Press

Shipbuilder Austal executives accused of inflating earnings

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Three current and former former executives of a shipbuilder that constructs vessels for the U.S. Navy have been indicted on accounting fraud charges accusing them of falsely inflating the company’s reported earnings, federal prosecutors said. Craig Perciavalle, 52, Joseph Runkel, 54, and William Adams, 63, all of Mobile, Alabama, where Austal […]
14 hours ago
FILE - Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Republican-backed Dan Kelly and Democratic-supported Jane...
Associated Press

Wisconsin Supreme Court control, abortion access at stake

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — abortion access, Republican-drawn legislative maps and years of GOP policies in the key swing state rests with the outcome an election Tuesday that has seen record campaign spending. The winner of the high-stakes contest between Democratic-supported Janet Protasiewicz will determine majority control of the court headed into the 2024 presidential election. […]
14 hours ago
Associated Press

Gas prices increase in NJ, around nation amid higher demand

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Gas prices increased in New Jersey and around the nation at large amid increased demand as warmer spring weather lures motorists back out onto the roads, analysts said. AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of a gallon of regular gas in New Jersey on Friday was $3.25, an increase of two […]
14 hours ago
Ramadan decorations are displayed at a Party City store in Dearborn, Mich., on Thursday, March 23, ...
Associated Press

Lanterns and crescents: more retailers court Ramadan buyers

With her 3-year-old daughter sitting inside a red Target shopping cart, Aya Khalil looked through the aisles with anticipation. The author was on a mission: See for herself that her children’s book about a boy and his grandmother baking for an Islamic feast was actually carried by her local Target store in Toledo. “Oh my […]
14 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Compassion International...

Brock Huard and Friends Rally Around The Fight for First Campaign

Professional athletes are teaming up to prevent infant mortality and empower women at risk in communities facing severe poverty.
Emergency Preparedness...

Prepare for the next disaster at the Emergency Preparedness Conference

Being prepared before the next emergency arrives is key to preserving businesses and organizations of many kinds.
SHIBA volunteer...

Volunteer to help people understand their Medicare options!

If you’re retired or getting ready to retire and looking for new ways to stay active, becoming a SHIBA volunteer could be for you!
safety from crime...

As crime increases, our safety measures must too

It's easy to be accused of fearmongering regarding crime, but Seattle residents might have good reason to be concerned for their safety.
Comcast Ready for Business Fund...
Ilona Lohrey | President and CEO, GSBA

GSBA is closing the disparity gap with Ready for Business Fund

GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund.
SHIBA WA...

Medicare open enrollment is here and SHIBA can help!

The SHIBA program – part of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner – is ready to help with your Medicare open enrollment decisions.
Ohio judge to decide on insanity defense in child slayings