SAN ANTONIO – A woman accused in the February 2020 murder of her 70-year-old grandmother was found guilty by a Bexar County judge.
Tamera Laws was accused of choking, stabbing and repeatedly striking Doris Ruth Novella with a hammer, resulting in her death.
The ruling took place in the 175th Bexar County Criminal District Court as a bench trial, the verdict was reached by the judge’s decision.
The judge will also determine Laws' sentence. She could face up to life in prison.
Laws took the stand in January, claiming she acted under the influence of psychosis and hallucinations.
The defense argued that Laws suffered from severe mental health issues that led to those 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 that my grandma was doing witchcraft on me,” Laws testified. “He was telling me if I did not kill my grandma, I was going to end up chopped up and sent to him 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 what she did until after the fact.
“I didn’t know I did something wrong,” Laws said.
The prosecution said Laws was aware of what she did, going so far as to try to clean the scene and flee.
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