An Illinois woman found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2010 stabbing death of her 4-year-old daughter said she is sane and is ready to be released.
Marci Webber, 50, slit Magdalene “Maggie” Webber’s throat and used the girl’s blood to write “Divine Mercy,” “Satan,” and “evil” on the bathroom walls of her Bloomingdale home. According to Patch, the then-43-year-old believed carrying out the killing would save her daughter from being sold as a sex slave on the Internet.
Though Marci drugged Maggie, prosecutors claimed it is possible that the girl woke up as the mother slashed her throat with a four-inch knife, NBC reported.
In 2012, Marci was sentenced to psychiatric confinement in a state mental facility for up to 100 years. Five years later, a recent treatment plan indicated that Marci is saying that she is stable and has control of her mental illness. Pushing for her release, she hopes a DuPage County judge will find that she mentally healthy and is not a danger to herself or society, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Judge George Bakalis consistently maintained that Marci would benefit most from inpatient treatment. However, a September 26 hearing will be the first time a court decides whether the 50-year-old is eligible for discharge or conditional release. Webber has sought her release since 2014.
Marci experienced mental health issues and attempted suicide prior to the 2010 slaying. In a series of interviews with the Tribune, she said she takes “full responsibility” for what happened but believes temporary psychosis caused by her long-term use and sudden withdrawal from various antidepressant and antipsychotic medications played a role.
“I had no concept of pain or that I was hurting her. I thought I was saving her,” Marci told the paper.
Mallory, Marci’s oldest daughter who found Maggie’s body, said she holds no ill will against her mother.
“She tried her hardest to do everything within her power to make sure us kids were taken care of,” Mallory told the Daily Herald in 2012. “I know a completely different mom than everybody else.”
“I don’t hold any anger against her because I really know it wasn’t her. She never would have done that.”
[Featured Image:DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office/Findagrave.com]
