UPDATED 5:45 P.M.
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria man accused of beating his grandmother to death last year in her West Peoria home has been found not guilty by reason of insanity of First-Degree Murder.
That verdict was reached Thursday at what’s called a stipulated bench trial for Cody Krause, 29, according to court records.
A stipulated bench trial is when evidence is presented to a judge, and the defense agrees that it would be enough to convict – not exactly a guilty plea.
Krause was accused of beating Glenda Rusterholz, 73, to death at a West Peoria home in April of last year, using a hammer.
But Krause had told investigators he “became a monster” but that voices in his head stopped after the attack.
Krause had been found mentally fit to stand trial a few months ago, but the finding Thursday likely means more psychiatric testing and treatment in a controlled environment.
“Not guilty by reason of insanity is a common outcome in these types of cases and does not mean ‘not guilty’ in the traditional sense,” said Jodi Hoos, Peoria County State’s Attorney, in a prepared statement. “It simply means that at the time of the crime, the defendant lacked substantial capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct. The outcome is that rather than being housed in jail, he will be detained in a mental health facility under the custody of the Department of Human Services to receive treatment.”
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