Attorneys for the mother of James Hutchinson took a major step towards an insanity defense in the presumed murder of the 6-year-old boy in Ohio late last month.
Hutchinson’s mother Brittaney Gosney, 29, had previously pleaded not guilty to 16 counts in her son’s death, including murder and abuse of a corpse. She reportedly told police that she had taken James and his two siblings to a wildlife park in Preble County on February 27 with the intent of abandoning all three children there. According to police documents, she said James hung on to the door of the vehicle and she drove away from a parking lot, and died after he was dragged, possibly run over by the car.
Gosney told police that she and her boyfriend James Hamilton drove the body to the Indiana side of the Ohio River early the next morning, tossed the boy’s body into the water. Investigators are continuing to search the area of the river and have not yet located the boy’s remains.
According to WKRC, Gosney’s lawyer filed a motion this week for a not guilty by reason of insanity defense. The motion also argued that Gosney is not competent to stand trial.
“Defendant struggles to assist in her defense and counsel has serious concerns regarding defendant’s mental health,” the court filing states, according to the report.
The local news report appears to corroborate statements made by the Butler County prosecutor Wednesday that searchers may have hit on possible remains in or near the Ohio River. But search crews have not yet found the body of Hutchinson or 3-year-old Nylo Lattimore, another child who is presumed murdered. Lattimore has not been seen since December and police reportedly believe the suspect in his mother’s murder also killed the little boy.
It is not yet known if search crews were active on Thursday.
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