A California woman, Bryn Spejcher, has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2018 death of her boyfriend, Chad O’Melia, after she fatally stabbed him over 100 times during a “cannabis-induced psychosis”.
The incident occurred after Spejcher, who was described as an inexperienced pot smoker, took two hits from her boyfriend’s bong, with the second hit leading to a negative reaction and a panic attack.
Subsequently, she went into a psychotic episode and stabbed her boyfriend multiple times, resulting in his death.
The case has drawn attention due to the unusual circumstances surrounding the crime and the potential implications for the legal treatment of cannabis-induced psychosis. The jury’s decision and the potential sentence have also been subjects of public interest.
The 32-year-old Bryn Spejcher, was originally charged with murder, but the Ventura County District Attorney reduced the charges in September. She had pleaded not guilty.
News of the conviction was previously reported by KTLA.
According to a police press release, in May 2018 Spejcher had traveled to the apartment of Chad O’Melia, “whom she had been dating for a few weeks,” and the two took hits from a bong.
Spejcher had a rare adverse reaction, officials say, and flew into “what experts call Cannabis-Induced Psychotic Disorder.” She fatally stabbed O’Melia more than 100 times with a bread knife and “repeatedly” stabbed herself, too.
When the cops arrived, O’Melia was lying in his own blood, while Spejcher was “screaming hysterically with a knife still in her hands.” In front of the officers, she stabbed herself in the neck, leading them to taser her and strike her several times with a baton.
O’Melia was pronounced dead on site.
In a statement following the conviction, Ventura County Senior Deputy District Attorney Audry Nafziger said, “This was a hard-fought case where the victim’s family had to wait a long time for justice and I am grateful for the jury’s verdict.”
This week the court will hear additional arguments related to special allegations and enhancements. The special allegations include a crime involving “great violence” and one that “indicates a serious danger to society.”
