SAN ANTONIO – A woman accused of killing her 70-year-old grandmother took the stand Thursday, claiming she acted under the influence of psychosis and hallucinations.
Tamera Laws is charged with the Feb. 20, 2020, murder of Doris Ruth Novella. Prosecutors allege Laws choked, stabbed and repeatedly struck Novella with a hammer, killing her.
The defense argues Laws suffered from severe mental health issues that led to hallucinations.
Warning: The following details may be disturbing to some readers.
According to Laws’ attorneys, on the day of the attack, Laws believed her grandmother was going to kill her, a fear she claimed was planted in her mind by her father.
“I was afraid my grandma was doing witchcraft me,” Laws testified. “He was telling me if I didn’t kill my grandmother, that I would get chopped up and sent in a box.”
Laws said her dad lived in California, had a history of violence and was a convicted felon. She said she didn’t realize until after what she did.
“I didn’t know I did something wrong,” Laws said.
The prosecution says Laws was aware of what she did, going so far as to try to clean the scene and flee.
Earlier in the day, a psychiatrist testified that Laws suffered from mental health issues and would go into psychosis and hallucinate.
The case is being decided in a bench trial, meaning the judge could issue a verdict as early as Friday.
If found not guilty by reason of insanity, Laws would be committed to a state hospital for an extended period.