2 weeks Ago By Kevin Martin
Murder suspect Michael Adenyi was suffering a mental illness when he fatally stabbed a Calgary woman on a city street and meets the criteria for a not criminally responsible finding, a psychiatrist testified Thursday. Dr. Sheila Acharya said she interviewed Adenyi multiple times in the months he was housed at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre following his arrest in the killing of Vanessa Ladouceur.
Under lengthy questioning by defence counsel Curtis Mennie, the doctor went over several reports on the examination of Adenyi culminating in her conclusions. Acharya testified she diagnosed Adenyi with schizophrenia as well as depression. She said Adenyi’s lack of memory of much of the event surrounding Ladouceur’s killing the morning of March 18, 2022 , while she walked to work was “likely due to the cognitive impacts of both the psychosis and the depression.
” “I indicated (in her report) I do believe he was suffering from a mental disorder . . .
in and around the time of the index offence,” she told Mennie. “I talk about whether or not the psychosis directly impacted his ability to know what he was doing or what he was doing was wrong and I indicate that I did believe that his actions were driven by psychotic symptomatology. “I further went on to say I did not see evidence at that time of any form of malingering.
” RelatedSister of confessed killer says he was a different man in the months and days leading up to fatal stabbingMurder suspect had hallucinations and fear months before attack, mother tells court Adenyi, 29, is charged with first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of Ladouceur along 10th Avenue S.E. near his sister’s apartment, where he spent the previous night.
He earlier testified he was suffering delusions and hallucinations for months leading up to the attack and that morning saw “animalistic creatures” and believed one was about to attack him. He said he pulled a knife from his backpack and attacked the apparent demon, but when he cut himself he realized he was assaulting a human and fled the scene. Acharya’s testimony continues on Friday.
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