Suspect in York County, SC double murder crime spree found not guilty by insanity
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A South Carolina man accused of killing two men and shooting at York County deputies with a stolen assault rifle during a crime spree three years ago has been found not guilty by reason of insanity, a judge ruled.
Jimar Frazier Neely heard voices in his head the night of a serial shooting spree on June 7, 2019, according to testimony in York County court Thursday. Neely, who believed someone had put a curse on him and he was being chased by shadow people, has the mental illness schizophrenia, a psychiatrist testified in court.
Neely, 31, believed if he fired shots at people including police, he would turn invisible, according to testimony.
Neely, who had a court-ordered involuntary commitment in the months earlier, failed to take his medications for schizophrenia before the crimes, testimony showed.
Neely pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and his lawyers and prosecutors agreed to a trial using only a judge.
York County Judge Dan Hall said in court it is a legitimate legal insanity defense that Neely did not know the legal and moral difference between right and wrong at the time.
The state of South Carolina should have done more concerning Neely’s mental illness long before June 2019 when the crimes happened, Hall said.
“But we are where we are now,” he said.
Neely will now be placed in the custody of the S.C. Department of Mental Health. It remains unclear how long Neely will stay under state mental health custody, but he will not ever be released without a South Carolina Circuit Judge’s order after a review and hearings, Hall said.
A night of killing and shooting
On June 7, 2019, Neely shot Timothy Barber and Barber’s brother-in-law Robbin Thompson in York County while the two men were picking up cabinets from a builder, according to testimony in court Thursday.
Later that night, Neely shot at York County Sheriff’s Office deputies during their attempt to apprehend him.
Neely had suffered a non-fatal gunshot wound to his arm when deputies returned fire before he was taken into custody, testimony showed. He was charged with two counts of murder, attempted murder, shooting into vehicles and a home, and several weapons firearms charges.
Neely has been in jail since undergoing mental testing and evaluation.
Doctors: Neely has mental illness schizophrenia
Neely was paranoid and heard voices telling him he was being targeted by a shooter, S.C. Department of Mental Health Dr. Stephanie Le testified in court Thursday.
“He believed he had shadow people after him that told him to shoot at people,” Le said.
At the time of the shootings, Neely refused to admit he has schizophrenia and refused to take medication, Le said.
Neely believed if he did not attack other people, including relatives whom he believed had put the curse on him, he would be attacked, Le said.
“Mr. Neely is not criminally responsible,” Le said. “He was delusional.”
Schizophrenia is brain disorder that can have symptoms including delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, trouble with thinking and lack of motivation, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
Other doctors who examined Neely found similar conclusions, testimony showed.
Neely had court-ordered involuntary outpatient mental health treatment for his mental illness in late 2018 in the months before the crimes, testimony showed. Neely’s family voiced concerns about his mental state and went to a court, but the court could not force Neely to take his medication, according to testimony.
Prosecutor questions why suspect was free
Prosecutors questioned why Neely was roaming free the day of the killings despite warning signs.
“Why in the world wasn’t this man medicated or in a hospital?” 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett asked in court.
The evidence is clear that Neely committed the crimes, Brackett said.
Brackett, emotional on and the verge of tears in court, said he and his staff cried with the victims’ families when he explained what would happen with an insanity finding with no apparent accountability.
South Carolina’s government is not dealing properly with mental illness, Brackett said.
“I hope something is done about this,” Brackett said in court.
Victims’ family speaks
Renea Barber, Tim Barber’s wife and Robbin Thompson’s sister, said in court a part of the family died when both men were killed.
They took care of their families, she said.
“Our journey has not been easy,’ Renea Barber said. “We sit here today and hear that our loved ones were collateral damage to mental illness.”
Neely’s lawyer: ‘A tragedy’
Neely’s lawyer, 16th Circuit Public defender B.J Barrowclough, said Neely’s situation is the most well-documented instance of mental illness he has seen in decades of law practice. Neely’s family tried to get him help, Barrowclough said.
“What happened is a tragedy,” Barrowclough said. “I feel terrible for the victims in this case. ... Even on the day of his arrest he was hearing voices. ... He (Neely) could not differentiate right from wrong.”
