Treatment Hearing For Mother Who Drove Kids Into The Ocean
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DAYTONA BEACH (CBSMiami/AP) — A South Carolina mother who drove her three children into the ocean off Daytona Beach earlier this year was suffering from a mental-illness episode most likely triggered by her pregnancy.
That's according to the testimoney Tuesday of Dr. Jeffrey Danziger who said that Ebony Wilkerson's symptoms disappeared after she gave birth to her fourth child in jail.
Danziger says Wilkerson's illness couldn't be neatly categorized because it included elements of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Symptoms included wild swings between being catatonic and euphoric.
Danziger's testimony was interrupted after Wilkerson's attorney, Juliane Morris, fainted at a podium while questioning him. She quickly regained consciousness. Court was in recess while paramedics attended to her.
Tuesday's hearing is to determine whether Wilkerson, 33, should be forcibly hospitalized for treatment.
Circuit Judge Leah Case ruled last week that Wilkerson was not guilty by reason of insanity to child abuse. Prosecutors, in turn, dropped three attempted murder counts.
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