Man who killed dad with garden shears not guilty by reason of insanity
The Beach Park man charged with killing his father with garden shears in 2019 was ruled not guilty by reason of insanity this week.
As a result, George W. Bryce, 23, most likely will be involuntarily committed to a mental health facility, according to officials.
Bryce was charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of his 70-year-old father, Warren Bryce. The elder Bryce died July 19, 2019, one day after his son stabbed him with shears at the family home.
Lake County state's attorney's spokesman Jim Newton said Thursday that the ruling was made Tuesday after a stipulated agreement was reached by Assistant State's Attorney Stella Day and Bryce's lawyer, Assistant Public Defender John Radosevich. Stipulated agreements are documents produced by both parties and entered into the record as a court order.
At the hearing Tuesday, the lawyers read the agreement, which included a history of George Bryce's psychiatric treatment and expert testimony from both sides.
The lawyers said Bryce's mental health condition had been deteriorating in the days leading up to the attack. His mother was on the phone making treatment arrangements for her son when she heard the attack happen.
In September 2019, a Lake County Judge ordered Bryce to a mental health facility in Elgin for treatment, based largely on a report issued by a court-appointed psychologist. After more than two months at the facility, Bryce was declared by the staff as mentally fit to stand trial.
In July 2020, Radosevich said his client would be pursuing an insanity defense.