A woman who claimed that psychosis induced by Covid caused her to drown her daughter has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Precious Bland, 43, broke down in tears in a Florida courtroom when a judge delivered the verdict, ruling that he believed she had been suffering from a psychotic break when she drowned her baby to death in a bathtub in 2021.
Bland was arrested after the shocking killing and faced five charges, including two counts of attempted murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree and two counts of aggravated child abuse, according to court records.
The defense argued that Bland had drowned her child, stabbed her husband, and her other daughter because she was 'under the influence of delusion' after a Covid infection.
The prosecution dispelled that explanation, claiming that Bland killed her baby because she believed her husband was cheating on her.
Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Miguel de la O ultimately sided with the defense, telling the court, 'There is zero credible explanation other than her psychotic state,' the Miami Herald reported.
The horrific sequence of events unfolded on August 23, 2021, when Bland started uttering bizarre delusions, including that 'Jesus Christ is coming,' and 'Covid is going to kill us all,' according to an arrest warrant.
She had told her family that everyone needed to be baptized and said she would baptize them in their bathtub. Bland lived at the Miami residence with her husband, Evan, and their six children.
Precious Bland broke down in tears when a Miami judge ruled she was not guilty by reason of insanity due to a psychotic episode
Bland was arrested in 2021 and faced multiple charges including, two counts of attempted murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree and two counts of aggravated child abuse
Disturbing body camera footage from her arrest revealed her in distress making disturbing statements about God and Satan
She then held her infant child, Emii, underwater until the baby was unresponsive. Bland also told her older daughter to grab a knife.
Although her older daughter was confused, she fetched Bland the weapon. Bland then stabbed her husband.
The older daughter attempted to help her father and also sustained a stab wound. Evan rushed to round up their children and escape the home to call emergency services.
Emii was transported to a local hospital but was pronounced dead. A medical examiner concluded the cause of death and manner as homicidal drowning.
Disturbing body camera footage played in court depicted Bland telling officers, 'God is coming back,' and 'Satan is a deceiver.'
'This was a person that was suffering from hallucinations. That was suffering from a mental defect,' Bland's lawyer, Larry Handfield, argued in court, CBS News reported.
Expert witnesses concluded that Bland's behavior was a result of psychosis. However, prosecutors argued that she was aware of her actions and the Covid defense was a stretch.
'She was verbalizing that the baby needed to stop breathing. So she was holding her down to make sure she stopped breathing,' a prosecuting attorney argued during opening statements.
Bland's husband, Evan, who testified in court, was stabbed during her psychosis episode. He told the judge that her behavior was unusual on the day of their daughter's death
Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Miguel de la O sided with the defense, telling the court that psychosis was a credible explanation
'Covid is not the issue in this case. There will be no clear and convincing evidence that Covid made this defendant drown her 1-year-old daughter.'
Handfield built the case around Bland's disturbing behavior on the day of her daughter's death.
He argued that Bland had called multiple family members and knocked on her neighbors' doors to warn them that the Covid vaccine was the 'mark of the devil.'
Handfield said Bland had been hearing voices that were telling her to commit the acts of violence against her family.
Her husband took the stand on Monday to testify that Bland had been acting unusually on the day of their daughter's death.
'I'm a victim. My family is a victim. And yeah, I mean Precious is a victim in this as well,' Evan added.
Her attorney argued that she loved being a mother, and family members reported the killing was inconsistent with the person they knew.
Prosecuting attorney Elizabeth Utset pushed back on the theory, arguing that even though Bland's behavior was 'odd,' the defense had presented an 'embellished and fabricated story.'
The shocking incident unfolded at Bland's home in Miami, Florida in 2021. Authorities responded to the home and found her infant daughter unresponsive
Bland was seen hugging her attorney and a psychiatrist who testified after the verdict was delivered
Bland's attorney, Larry Handfield, said that the case was the first of its kind. He argued that his client's actions 'were the result of a medical crisis brought on by Covid'
After the verdict, Handfield told reporters that the decision marked a 'glorious day' for his client.
He said his client was a Navy officer who served in Iraq and was even on former President George W Bush's security detail, according to the Miami Herald.
'I knew that she was not responsible for that tragic incident ...,' Handfield added. 'The actions that she took were the result of a medical crisis brought on by Covid.'
Bland told reporters after the verdict that she loved her children and was ready to get her life back together.
A hearing has been scheduled for Friday to set the terms of Bland's release. Judge De la O said he did not believe she needed to be committed to a mental institution. Bland was in jail for four years before she was placed on house arrest while awaiting trial.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the prosecuting attorneys and Bland's representation for additional comment.
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