Bryn Spejcher: California audiologist convicted of stabbing boyfriend 108 times won't go to jail
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
VENTURA, CALIFORNIA: Tuesday's ruling was a slap on the wrist for a 33-year-old woman from California who was found guilty of killing her boyfriend in 2018, by stabbing him 108 times while in a "cannabis-induced psychosis."
Following her conviction for the murder of her new boyfriend, Chad O'Melia, Bryn Spejcher, was given a two-year probationary sentence and mandated to complete 100 hours of community service, as reported by the Ventura County Star.
Bryn Spejcher found guilty of murdering her boyfriend
Judge David Worley of Ventura County Superior Court found that Spejcher "had no control over her actions" on May 28, 2018, when she had a psychotic episode and repeatedly stabbed O'Melia, 26, in his Thousand Oaks apartment.
Experts for both the prosecution and defense concluded that Spejcher's lethal psychotic episode was caused by the marijuana bong hit she received. Worley stated, "From that point forward, she had no control over her actions," the outlet reported.
It had only been a few weeks since Spejcher and O'Melia started dating when she killed the accountant with brutality. Law enforcement discovered Spejcher weeping uncontrollably and covered in blood next to her boyfriend's body, still holding the knife after she had killed him.
According to the outlet, Spejcher, who turned 33 last Thursday, also stabbed her dog while going on the rampage. At the scene, O'Melia was pronounced deceased.
As the outlet reported in December, Spejcher's attorneys had contended that their client, a novice pot user, was "involuntarily intoxicated" at the time of the murder because O'Melia had pushed her to take another bong hit when she didn't feel euphoric from the first one.
The second hit caused her to react badly right away, and she had to run to the bathroom in a panic before killing anyone.
According to prosecutors, Spejcher had an immediate adverse reaction, experiencing panic, blurred vision and feeling like she was dying. Expert witnesses said Spejcher entered a psychotic state in which she heard voices telling her to attack O'Melia.
Unless intoxication is unintentional, a person under the influence of drugs or alcohol is considered responsible for their actions under California law.
Bryn Spejcher broke down in tears during court appearance
The jury found Spejcher guilty of involuntary manslaughter in less than four hours. Spejcher broke down in tears in court during Tuesday's sentencing, apologizing to Sean O'Melia, the victim's father.
She reportedly said, “My actions have ripped your family apart. I am broken and aching inside. I hurt that you never see Chad again.”
During the sentencing hearing, Spejcher's father presented a different picture of the party girl who killed O'Melia, despite the prosecution's portrayal of her as such.
Mike Spejcher, who also noted his daughter's hearing impairment and her work as a licensed audiologist prior to the killing, said of her, "She has worked her whole life helping others."
Sean O'Melia, the father of Chad O'Melia, charged that Worley was prejudiced and that the judge had created a risky precedent after his decision.
The distraught father remarked, "He just gave everyone in the state of California who smokes marijuana a license to kill someone." The victim's uncle, Brendan O'Melia, declared that there was no winner in this catastrophe.
"There can be, however, accountability." Worley's decision against Spejcher was hailed by Spejcher's attorney, Bob Schwartz, as the "right and courageous thing."
