Woman to be sentenced for murder despite history of mental illness

MADISON COUNTY, AL (WAFF) - A woman will soon be sentenced for the murder of her mother.

A Madison County jury found Kimberly McLaughlin guilty of Shirley Robuck's murder. This verdict came despite McLaughlin's history of mental illness.

Amy Bishop Anderson has also pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

WAFF Legal Analyst, Mark McDaniel, said trying to convince a jury a client is insane is one of the difficult things an attorney can attempt.

Last Friday, a jury found McLaughlin guilty of murdering elderly her mother.

McLaughlin stabbed the victim 200 times, severed her head, and claimed she was a demon hatched out of an egg.

McLaughlin's attorney argued she's insane, but the jury disagreed.

A person can be insane and still know right from wrong.

McDaniel says convincing a jury a defendant is insane is a tough task. When you have a horrendous crime, it's just hard for that jury to say "not guilty."

But that's exactly the task another jury will have this fall.

Court records show UAH shooter Amy Bishop-Anderson is undergoing psychological evaluations. Her sanity is sure to be brought up in the courtroom.

The defendant is going to be faced with jurors that have already seen, heard, or read so much about Bishop-Anderson and a lot of them have made decisions already and determined she is or is not crazy.

McDaniel said selecting the jury in that case has the potential to be a very long and drawn out process.

Amy Bishop-Anderson's trial date is scheduled for September 10th.

Related stories:

• Woman murdered in Madison
• Jury finds Kimberly McLaughlin guilty of murder
• Judge orders mental evaluation of alleged UA-Huntsville shooter
• Amy Bishop-Anderson murder trial set for September

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