Jury: Texas Church Attack Suspect Guilty By Reason Of Insanity
CORPUS CHRISTI (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A South Texas jury has determined a man who authorities say fatally stabbed a worshipper and wounded three others during a church service last year is not guilty by reason of insanity.
The jury in Corpus Christi issued its judgment Tuesday against 29-year-old Marco Moreno, who prosecutors say attacked the people during a service held at a home by Kingdom Acts Ministries.
A 61-year-old church member died at the scene after being stabbed in the neck. Two other churchgoers, who attempted to intervene, were also injured. Moreno was charged with murder and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Mental health professionals previously found that Moreno was insane at the time.
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports that a prosecutor had argued to the jury that Moreno worsened his psychosis by smoking marijuana.
Prosecutor Matt Manning contended that smoking the drug made Moreno criminally responsible, but the jury disagreed.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)