New York woman receives 50 years to life in prison
TROY, New York (CNN) -- A mother diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic was sentenced Wednesday to 50 years to life in prison for drowning her 4-year-old son in a bathtub last year and trying to kill another son.
"There are no words strong enough to deplore the acts she committed," said Rensselaer County Court Judge Patrick McGrath.
In July, Christine Wilhelm was convicted of murder in the April 15, 2002, drowning death of her son Luke. She also was found guilty of attempted murder for trying to drown son Peter, then 5, who escaped her grasp at their home in Hoosick Falls, a small town northeast of Albany.
McGrath sentenced Wilhelm to 25 years to life for the murder and a consecutive 25 years for the attempted murder. He ordered the defendant not to be in contact with Peter and her husband, Kenneth, before 2056.
The judge said the defendant "should be shown the same mercy she showed to Luke and Peter."
During the hearing in a Troy courtroom, the boys' father testified that his wife tortured the children and put them through "a night from hell." He was working a night shift when the crimes occurred.
"We will probably never know the truth about why she did what she did, but we -- what we do know is that there is a 4-year-old boy whose life was cut short violently," he said. "Tomorrow would have been his first day of kindergarten."
Wilhelm's attorneys offered an insanity defense, saying their client did not know right from wrong because of her condition.
Peter also testified against his mother.
Kenneth Wilhelm urges a judge to impose the maximum sentence for his wife during Wednesday's hearing. |
During the trial, Peter said: "Mom tried to drown me 'cause she had a sickness in her mind and she didn't take her whole medication. So she had that problem, and she tried to drown me, but instead she drowned my brother two times."
The case was reminiscent of the Andrea Yates trial in Houston, Texas.
Two years ago, Yates drowned her five children while suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis.
Yates told authorities that Satan told her to kill the children. Despite a documented history of mental illness, a jury rejected her plea of innocent by reason of insanity and convicted her of murder in 2002. She was sentenced to life in prison but will be eligible for parole in 40 years.
CNN Correspondent Gary Tuchman contributed to this report.
