Man Accused Of Killing His Mother Reaches Plea Deal, Ordered To Treatment Facility
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A man charged with beating his mother to death entered a not-guilty plea Monday.
As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, Henry Wachtel, 21, was allowed to plead not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and will be confined to a state facility for treatment of his epilepsy and mental disorder, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported.
The then-Fordham student killed his mother in April 2012 during an epileptic fit, authorities said.
Man Accused Of Killing His Mother Reaches Plea Deal, Ordered To Treatment Facility
Karyn Kay, 63, a teacher at LaGuardia High School on the Upper West Side, was bludgeoned to death while she was on the phone with a 911 operator calling for help for her son. The struggle was caught on the 911 recording, including Wachtel's anguished cry at the end of "Mommy, Mommy, please don't die."
Judge Jill Konviser once described the case as "painfully unique."
In an emotional statement to the court, Wachtel said he had no memory of the events immediately surrounding his mother's death. He said his lawyer advised him of the evidence and that he is convinced he killed his mother.
Konviser warned Wachtel he could end up in a state facility for the rest of his life. He will first be sent to a private treatment center.
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