Psychologist: Irving mom accused of killing kids doesn’t meet criteria for not guilty by reason of insanity
Psychologist: Irving mom accused of killing kids doesn’t meet criteria for not guilty by reason of insanity
The psychologist who evaluated Madison McDonald testified she believed the mother was mentally ill but also knew what she did was wrong and should not be found not guilty by reason of insanity.
IRVING, Texas - Closing arguments were expected Tuesday in the trial for a mother accused of capital murder for killing her young daughters, but prosecutors brought one last witness.
The psychologist who evaluated Madison McDonald testified she believed the mother was mentally ill but also knew what she did was wrong and should not be found not guilty by reason of insanity.
We expected both the prosecution and defense to finish Tuesday, but both questioned a psychologist for hours who testified that while McDonald suffered from mental illness, she knew what she did was wrong when she killed her two daughters.
Kristi Compton, a forensic psychologist hired by the state, took the stand Tuesday.
"A person’s statements close in time to the offense are going to be most reflective of their mental state at that time," she said.
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Defense attorneys questioned Madison McDonald's mother about her mental illnesses for hours on Monday. McDonald has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Compton conducted a competency evaluation of McDonald months after she confessed to killing her two girls in April of 2021.
McDonald went to the Irving Police Department and called 911, confessing she sedated and smothered her children to "protect them from abuse."
Compton conducted the evaluation after McDonald was back on medication. So Compton says she based most of her findings on video interviews with police.
"In my opinion, she was mentally ill. And I believe that the mental illness undergirded the offense. I don't think there's any doubt about that," she said. "But it did not render her to the point that she knew her conduct was wrong or illegal she does not meet the criteria of not guilty of reason of insanity."
Compton said there were 13 examples of McDonald admitting she knew what she did was wrong.
"This is a mental health crisis because I have murdered my children," McDonald said. "I’m aware it was wrong."
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In 2021, Madison McDonald walked into the Irving Police Department, used a telephone to call 911, and told police she smothered her 1 and 6-year-old daughters.
On cross examination, McDonald’s defense team tried to corner Compton on prior statements she made.
"When you left that day, you were 95% convinced yourself that she would meet the legal criteria for not guilty by reason of insanity," the lawyer said.
"I was," Compton replied.
Throughout the trial, McDonald’s lawyers have argued she was "insane" when she killed her daughters, pointing to diagnoses of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and paranoid delusions involving non-existent threats.
Monday, McDonald’s mother testified her daughter’s mental state was so bad that she’d even rejected her own diagnoses.
While we expected closing arguments Tuesday, the judge said it was too late in the day. Closing arguments are expected at 10 a.m. Wednesday, and then the jury will get the case.