A Wisconsin woman has been charged with attempted homicide after allegedly trying to kill her father, while hallucinating that he was the devil.
This frightening incident occurred on July 1 in Stoughton, a small town near Madison, where 34-year-old Jamie Anderson tried to attack her father with a knife during a violent struggle at his home.
Details of the Incident
According to the Stoughton Police Department, Anderson walked around 16 miles from her Madison apartment to her father’s house during the early morning hours.
When she arrived, she rang the doorbell, and when her father answered, Anderson reportedly said she wanted to stop hallucinating. She then asked him for a hug, but when her father questioned if she was on drugs, Anderson allegedly became violent.
She then attempted to stab him in the head, and their struggle continued as Anderson made multiple attempts to stab him. Some of her efforts succeeded, causing injuries to her father.
During the attack, Anderson allegedly said, “I’m going to kill you.” The two fought throughout the house, with the father eventually managing to push his daughter over a coffee table to escape.
Arrest and Confession
When police arrived at the scene around 6 a.m., they found Anderson’s father sitting on his front stoop, bleeding from his arm. He told officers that his daughter had come to kill him.
Anderson was found walking down the stairs outside the house with a knife in hand. She complied with police orders to drop the weapon and was arrested without resistance.
Anderson later admitted to the officers that she had been hallucinating and thought her father was the devil. She confessed to attacking him with the intent to kill him. She also admitted to cutting or slashing him about four times during the assault.
Her father was seriously injured, requiring staples in his head and surgery for his arm. Despite the attack, he spoke kindly of his daughter, suggesting that the incident wasn’t her fault and that her mind was affected by drug use.
Court Appearance and Legal Process
Anderson was charged with attempted intentional homicide and use of a dangerous weapon. The charge also includes a domestic abuse enhancement. She appeared in court on July 25, where her bond was set at $500,000.
A no-contact order was also issued, preventing her from contacting her father if she makes bail. Anderson is currently being held in the Dane County Jail and is scheduled for another court appearance on August 5.
This chilling case highlights the potential dangers of substance abuse and hallucinations, which can lead to violent behavior. While Anderson’s actions were driven by her distorted perception, the attack left her father severely injured and deeply traumatized.
The legal proceedings will determine the consequences for Anderson’s violent actions, but the family’s struggle to understand the cause of the violence is a painful reminder of the effects of drug use and mental health issues.
