A Baton Rouge man who killed a woman in a high-speed wreck last summer after he says God told him to kill himself is found not guilty by reason of insanity.
19-year-old Jack Jordan’s attorney, James Manasseh, says three medical experts observed his client and said he was not of sound mind at the time of the incident, and ultimately the East Baton Rouge District Attorney agreed.
“You could look him in the eyes and talk with him and realize that he was not there, he did not think the way that other people thought. He was having a severe mental illness at that time,” said Manasseh.
Stephanie Payne was idling at a Baton Rouge intersection on July 22nd when Jordan slammed his vehicle into hers at over 90 miles per hour.
Manasseh says it’s the definition of a tragedy and one that no one saw coming from Jordan, who was described as a good student on his way to college.
“There was no sign of this previously and this one first psychotic episode turned into a tragedy,” said Manasseh.
Jordan does not appear to have had a history of drug or alcohol use, or a criminal record.
Manasseh says Jordan’s next court hearing is set for October.
“Now it shifts to how is he going to live out the rest of his life. He has a right to have hearings in which the doctors will present evidence to determine whether he could ultimately be released,” said Manasseh, who adds his client is responding well to medication and therapy and has acknowledged that he does have a severe mental illness.
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