'Witches made me do it': Mental illness claim tested in Palm Beach County murder case
Yahoo! News ^ | Mon, August 11, 2025 | Hannah Phillips
Posted on 08/13/2025 2:58:53 PM PDT by nickcarraway
SNIP
Kirkland Evan Lehto, 27, sat motionless as Rogers' family described the effect of his murder, committed for reasons not even he could explain. He said he didn't remember pulling the trigger. He said "the voices, the witches" made him do it. Jurors rejected his insanity defense during his murder trial in June, but they didn't think the killing was premeditated, either. They convicted Lehto of second-degree murder instead, sparing him an automatic life sentence and leaving his penalty to the discretion of the judge. Lehto's family and team of public defenders urged Circuit Judge Daliah Weiss to sentence Lehto to 25 years. They argued that any longer would reduce his chance at rehabilitation and squander public resources.
Prosecutors recommended a life sentence and presented victim impact statements from Rogers' family — some of whom called his killer a "psychopath" and a "devil masquerading in human flesh."
"Each side wants either the minimum or the maximum," Weiss said at the conclusion of the three-hour sentencing hearing. "But the court doesn't find that either will be the sentence here." She sentenced Lehto to 40 years instead. Under Florida law, he must serve at least 25 years before becoming eligible for release.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: crime; insanitydefense; mentalillness; murder; palmbeach; random; randomkilling; witch
1 posted on 08/13/2025 2:58:53 PM PDT by nickcarraway
To: nickcarraway
Shades of Dan White’s “diminished capacity” (aka, “the Twinkie defense”).
2 posted on 08/13/2025 3:02:12 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
To: nickcarraway
He can do the quarter standing on his head. By year 26 he will have murdered too many times to count. The Jury should have convicted him of First Degree, let him ride the needle and be done with it. As it now stands, numerous families in the future will pay the price of him doing what he does best.
3 posted on 08/13/2025 3:08:14 PM PDT by sport
To: nickcarraway
At times, heading God’s voice telling you to do something has been successfully used as a defense. I recall the Court ruled if you did something because the Devil told you to, not so much, as you are NOT supposed tolisten to the devil. I think hearing witches telling you todo something is closer to the latter.
4 posted on 08/13/2025 3:08:59 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
To: nickcarraway
5 posted on 08/13/2025 3:16:33 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
To: Dr. Sivana
RE: hearing the voice....
“Why is it that when we talk to God we’re said to be praying, but when God talks to us we’re schizophrenic?”
―- Lily Tomlin
6 posted on 08/13/2025 3:19:46 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
To: nickcarraway
More proof the mental hospitals closed in the 1970s need to be reopened. When closed, and the crazies let loose on the streeets, mass murders took off like a rocket.
To: nickcarraway
Does he...weigh the same as a duck?
8 posted on 08/13/2025 3:44:00 PM PDT by Billthedrill
To: Billthedrill
Maybe he'll go so far as to claim they turned him into a
Though he did get better.
9 posted on 08/13/2025 3:55:15 PM PDT by MikelTackNailer (Listen to me now, think about it later and cry about it some other day.)
To: nickcarraway
Unless he can show that Whit-less was actually on the phone with him at the time I am going to doubt his story.
And no, her being on the TV does not count.
10 posted on 08/13/2025 3:56:52 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear ( Not my circus. Not my monkeys. But I can pick out the clowns at 100 yards.)
To: nickcarraway
11 posted on 08/13/2025 5:55:07 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (If [mortals] are so wicked with religion, what would they be without it? —Benjamin Franklin)
To: nickcarraway
When interviewed by detectives, he claimed to have no memory of the shooting and said voices in his head told him to do it.
Uh... how can both of these be true? If he doesn't remember, how does he know there were voices?
12 posted on 08/13/2025 6:41:23 PM PDT by A_perfect_lady (The greatest wealth is to live content with little. -Plato)
To: A_perfect_lady
You aren’t supposed to pay attention to that.
To: A_perfect_lady
You aren’t supposed to pay attention to that.
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