A college student from Illinois who shot his parents to death in his Central Michigan University dorm room will not have to stand trial, the Detroit Free Press reports.
James Davis Jr., 20 shot his parents when they came to get him from his college after reports that he was acting erratically. the night before, believing someone was trying to kill him.
According to MLive.com, James Davis Sr., and his wife Diva Davis, both 47, died when Davis, Jr. took a pistol from his parent’s car when they were moving him out, returned to his dorm room and shot them. Davis, Sr. was a part-time police officer in Bellwood, Illinois as well as a National Guardsman” and the weapon belonged to him.
“Mr. Davis was determined by the examining forensic psychiatrist to suffer from a mental illness at the time the offenses were committed, further noting that he lacked substantial capacity to appreciate the nature and quality and wrongfulness of his conduct,” Isabella County Prosecutor David R. Barberi said in a statement.
“It’s important that the public understand that this does not mean that Mr. Davis is free to return to society. Today’s plea brings an end to a very tragic event that temporarily marred the safety and comfort that we all know and value in our community and at Central Michigan University. While we know there is much more healing ahead for the Davis family, we hope that today’s plea brings some sense of closure and finality to them and the Central Michigan Community as we all continue to move forward.”
HIs surviving siblings and family also released a statement after the decision.
“We, the family of Diva and James Davis Sr, are highly satisfied with the outcome of this hearing. Mental health is real and we know that Eric was not in a right state of mind. We are appreciative of the love and support offered to us by the CMU Community, Center for Forensic Psychiatry, and Eric’s attorney, Joshua Blanchard.”
PHOTO: Diva and James Davis, Jr., (Family) James Davis, Jr. (Mt. Pleasant Police)
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