Sentenced: Delilah Evans Was 17 When She Stabbed Her Mother 120 Times On Christmas Day

[Sugar Cookie]

A Clinton Township teenager is now heading to prison for the rest of her life – without the chance of parole -- after being found guilty but mentally ill in the stabbing death of her mother on Christmas day of 2016.

Delilah Evans is 18 now. She was 17 at the time of the attack on her mom -- 45-year-old Sonia Riang.

Despite pleas from her attorney for a lesser sentence because of her mental illness and being a minor, the judge threw the book at her.

Evans walked into the courtroom biting her lip.

Her attorney brought forth an expert to talk about her mental state after she killed her mom more than a year ago.

“She was hearing voices. She was responding to internal stimuli. She was seeing shadows. She was in bad shape psychologically,” said Dr. Steven Miller, Consulting Forensic Examiner and licensed psychologist.

Dr. Miller told the court he upgraded her diagnosis to schizoaffective disorder – a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

He reminded the judge that he had testified during the trial that she should not be found guilty because of reason of insanity.

On December 25, 2016, Evans stabbed her brother in the hand before stabbing her mother to death.

Riang was disabled and used a wheelchair to get around.

Even after Evans was arrested and charged with first degree premeditated murder, her siblings and aunt came to her defense.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get her any of the help she needed before the incident,” said her sister Roseanna Evans after the arrest.

The jury rejected an insanity plea on February 22 of 2018. The panel instead found Evans guilty but mentally ill.

In court today for sentencing, Evans watched with little-to-no emotion -- squinting at times, shifting in her seat -- as the forensic examiner explained how putting her in the prison system would make treatment for her much more difficult.

Her attorney asked for a minimum of 25-to-60 years in prison because she was a minor when she killed her mom and mentally ill.

“I said, ‘Are you sorry that this happened as to what happened?’ and she said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Will you tell the judge that you are sorry as to what happened?’ And she said, ‘Yes.’ And then I said, ‘Okay, what will you tell the judge?’ And she blanked out. So, judge, I hope you will not hold it against her if she is not going to be able to speak.”

And when the time came for her statement before her sentencing, she seemed confused.

“Yeah. No,” she faultered.

The judge asked, “Is it yes, or is it no?”

Evans responded, “No.”

Then Judge Richard handed down his sentence of life in prison without parole.

“I can’t imagine how you could plunge a knife 120 times into your mother who raised and nurtured you. Even considering your severe mental health issue, this senseless crime is mind-boggling,” he said.

Evans showed virtually no reaction.

https://www.wxyz.com/news/clinton-t...her-mother-120-times-gets-life-without-parole
[doublepost=1523102558,1523102486][/doublepost]

 

[lithiumgirl]

“I can’t imagine how you could plunge a knife 120 times into your mother who raised and nurtured you.

Well from here the Judge is imagining it WRONG ... children that are raised well and nurtured don't stab their parents to death ...Duh! So many stupid people on the bench ...

 

[Forensicwx]

Well from here the Judge is imagining it WRONG ... children that are raised well and nurtured don't stab their parents to death ...Duh! So many stupid people on the bench ...

Yes. You can nurture the mental illness out of someone. That’ll work. :sarcasm:

Nurture that chemical imbalance back into place! Schizoaffective be damned, mommy loves you!

 

[MildlyMedicated]

Well from here the Judge is imagining it WRONG ... children that are raised well and nurtured don't stab their parents to death ...

Honestly? I have an adult daughter, that was cared for, nurtured, loved, and is mentally ill. So according to your philosophy. . . she was not raised in a loving, caring environment ? We, literally went bankrupt so she had the treatment she needed, we struggled to maintain our lives and the lives of her siblings, but she is still mentally ill. She, is still loved. We, were afraid to sleep at nights, we feared for her siblings. So I have to call bullshit on the only bad parents have mentally ill children.

 

[Sejanus]

This is kinda sad all around.
Loon slaughters crippled up mom.
Was she even fit for trial at this point?
Had she been a primary caregiver for mom and realized a life of servitude was stretching out before her and she snapped?
Was she frustrated over mom being chair bound and not being able to fix that?
Was she just a vicious cunt (120 stab wounds point to maybe)

Likely she would be better served in a mental hospital being treated, assessed and then do the prison thing.

 

[lithiumgirl]

Yes. You can nurture the mental illness out of someone. That’ll work.

I have an adult daughter, that was cared for, nurtured, loved, and is mentally ill.

I'm mentally ill my self ... and here is a simple truth ... some people are organically crazy ... the rest sadly are driven there. Hence the very words ... Driven crazy, drive me crazy ... or any variation of.

 

[McDanel]

I inherited depression, plus crazy shit happened. At my age, I can distinguish which of the two is trying to pull my strings

In this case, an asylum would be best, but we don't do that anymore. We've gone from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" to free-range insanity. As far as actual treatment for this person, I don't believe such a thing exists. Science hasn't found a way, and until it does she cannot be free.

 

[Forensicwx]

Honestly? I have an adult daughter, that was cared for, nurtured, loved, and is mentally ill. So according to your philosophy. . . she was not raised in a loving, caring environment ? We, literally went bankrupt so she had the treatment she needed, we struggled to maintain our lives and the lives of her siblings, but she is still mentally ill. She, is still loved. We, were afraid to sleep at nights, we feared for her siblings. So I have to call bullshit on the only bad parents have mentally ill children.

Uhm. Excuse me.

What you quoted?
I didn’t say that.

@lithiumgirl did.

I did respond to her. But somehow you have my name on HER quote. And I’d rather not be associated with that bullshit statement.

I’m not batshit, I promise. And that quote that now has my name on it is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever read.

My comment was 180 degrees opposite.

It would be awesome if you could fix that.

 

[CandyCathy]

Honestly? I have an adult daughter, that was cared for, nurtured, loved, and is mentally ill. So according to your philosophy. . . she was not raised in a loving, caring environment ? We, literally went bankrupt so she had the treatment she needed, we struggled to maintain our lives and the lives of her siblings, but she is still mentally ill. She, is still loved. We, were afraid to sleep at nights, we feared for her siblings. So I have to call bullshit on the only bad parents have mentally ill children.

My mom did her best, I'm still a fucking lunatic. Agree times a million.

 

[lithiumgirl]

Right cause all the best parents get stabbed to death by their kids ...

 

[MildlyMedicated]

Uhm. Excuse me.
What you quoted?
I didn’t say that.
@lithiumgirl did.

You are right, I should have pulled it from her response, not your response to her response.
Forensicwx did not write the quote I posted Lithiumgirl did.
[doublepost=1523287884,1523287451][/doublepost]

Well from here the Judge is imagining it WRONG ... children that are raised well and nurtured don't stab their parents to death ...Duh! So many stupid people on the bench ...

 

[Muriel Schwenck]

Well from here the Judge is imagining it WRONG ... children that are raised well and nurtured don't stab their parents to death ...Duh! So many stupid people on the bench ...

Riiiight. She would have killed someone else but never her own mother if her mother had raised her better.

 

[Victoria]

The fact that the mother was very limited in defending herself as she was confined by her wheelchair when she received the 120 stab wounds is particularly heinous. Lucky brother getting away with just 1 to the hand.

 

[lithiumgirl]

Riiiight. She would have killed someone else but never her own mother if her mother had raised her better.

Well I'm that girl here who thinks its awesome when kids kill their parents anyway ... usually. I just think there is something pure about it ... and I also think most of these parents die thinking of that one time or maybe ten, that led to the moment at all. This is me thinking most parents that die like that, aren't all dramatic screaming Why ... why ? Cause I believe they already know exactly why.