The insanity defense has been used by the accused in courts since the 13th century. Suppose a defendant pleads not guilty because of insanity.
In that case, the person essentially claims to suffer from an utter lack of awareness of the act of crime committed and cannot be subjected to any legal consequences.
As the crime happens, the perpetrator is mentally unable to make sound judgments, control impulse behavior, and have rational thoughts.
To be considered legally insane, a person must be deprived of understanding and memory that the mental capacity to be aware of the act of crime is no more than an infant or animal.
When Arne Cheyenne Johnson was put to trial for the murder of Alan Bono in February 1981, he pleaded guilty but was mentally ill.
The peculiarity of the defense argument was that the insanity was not the result of the poor mental condition by medical standards but because the accused had been possessed by more than three dozen demons when the murder happened.
His lawyer argued demonic possession rendered his client mentally incapacitate during the killing.
10 /10 The Murder
Alan Bono was a 40-year-old manager of a kennel. Arne Cheyenne Johnson was a 19-year-old who worked for a tree surgeon.
On February 16, 1981, the two men were involved in an argument over a broken stereo belonging to the former and a failed repair by the latter.
When Bono turned the stereo on after the repair, the sound was too loud for his liking.
After some complaining remarks in the apartment above the kennel, they walked into the woods where Bono ended up dead from stab wounds at the hands of Johnson.
9 /10 A Day Of Drinking
Before the afternoon of the murder, Johnson and Bono were happily sharing stories and carafes of red wine at that Mug’ N’ Munch Café.
Debbie and other family members accompanied the men. After some drinking and lunch, everyone went back to Bono’s apartment.
The neighbors noticed something terrible had just happened when they heard loud noises outside, followed by two men, a police officer, and an ambulance driver, running toward Bono, who at that time was already dead of stab wounds below the rib cage.