A 40-year-old Texas mother, Melissa Towne, who was accused of slitting her 5-year-old daughter’s neck and driving her to the hospital with a trash bag covering her head, has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Videos by Suggest
As reported by KHOU, the incident occurred back on October 16, 2022. At the time, Towne allegedly confessed to killing her daughter, Nichole, saying that she took her to Spring Creek Park. There, she ordered her 5-year-old girl to get on her knees and then took a knife out, police said.
A physical struggle between the two ensued. At one point, Nichole pleaded to her mother, “I’ve been good,” as per ABC13. Towne, however, replied, “Stop fighting it,” according to court records.
Towne was accused of slitting her neck with a knife and, when that failed to kill her, she strangled her for half an hour. Then, she allegedly took her to a local hospital with a plastic trash bag over her head.
Shortly after arriving at an emergency room, Nichole was found wrapped in plastic and a bag, and she was declared deceased, KHOU reported.
Allegedly, Melissa Towne confessed to killing her because Nichole was “evil and didn’t want to deal with her anymore.”
At the time, Towne was charged with capital murder.
Acquitted
Despite her alleged confession, Towne was acquitted by reason of insanity. This means that she will be admitted to a mental health facility. She will appear in court to determine her future.
Fox 26 previously talked with several neighbors who revealed several instances in which Towne displayed a troubling attitude.
“We’ve always known her to have some mental problems,” neighbor Alan Pfarr said at the time. “I’ve called the cops on her several times.”
According to Pfarr, Towne had frequent arguments with her mailbox and, on one occasion, she hit her own car with a baseball bat. Another neighbor mentioned how they would hear her screaming frequently, “yelling into thin air.”
Furthermore, Child Protective Services detailed multiple instances leading to Nichole’s death where she displayed worrying signs. The most recent, which ocurred 10 days before her death, detailed that Nichole was covered in scars and insect bites, KHOU reported.
At the time, the family issued a statement, addressing Nichole’s death.
“We will always remember her as the sweetest little girl who never met a stranger,” the statement read, as per ABC13. “She was so full of love and giggles and her bright blue eyes shined [sic] so full of curiosity.”
A GoFundMe launched to support Nichole’s family is still accepting donations.