The man who killed a downtown resident by stabbing him more than 70 times in March was found guilty of first degree intentional homicide last week. On Wednesday, the jury rejected his insanity defense, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
Darrick Anderson, 24, entered the home of Andrew Nesbitt March 27 and stabbed him 76 times in a gruesome murder that shocked residents of downtown Madison. Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland sentenced Anderson to life in prison Wednesday in the second part of a two-phase trial.
After the jury found Anderson guilty last Friday, they heard three days of testimony this week on the perpetrator’s mental state. Ultimately, after deliberating for four hours, they determined that he had no mental disease or defect.
Anderson’s lawyer, Tim Kiefer, had argued that Anderson had long suffered from schizophrenia and that he was suffering from the disorder when he killed Nesbitt. Testimony from Anderson’s mother and sister, as well as from a psychologist, confirmed Anderson’s condition, Kiefer argued.
However, another doctor who testified, psychiatrist Erik Knudson, said he could not confirm that Anderson suffered any mental disease based on a two-hour exam with him and videos of his interactions.
Furthermore, Deputy District Attorney Matthew Moeser said that a man who had no knowledge his actions were wrong would not have taken steps to hide his murder weapon. The knife Anderson used to kill Nesbitt was never found.
The jury, except for one dissenter, concurred with the prosecution. Anderson will spend his life in prison, unless Hyland decides at a later date Anderson could be eligible for release on extended supervision.
