California Woman Found Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter in Drug-Induced Killing. She Stabbed Her Boyfriend Over a 100 Times

A California woman was convicted of involuntary manslaughter on Friday after killing her boyfriend in a drug-induced psychotic episode.

Bryn Spejcher, 32, stabbed her boyfriend, Chad O'Melia, 26, multiple times in his Thousand Oaks condo in 2018. Spejcher was also found guilty of killing her dog, Arya, and attempting to take her own life.

Spejcher was originally charged with murder, but prosecutors reduced the charge to involuntary manslaughter after their expert determined that she was acutely psychotic due to marijuana use.

The state's expert, Dr. Kris Mohandie, testified that Spejcher was "possessed" during the attack and that stabbing her own dog was "highly inconsistent with her love of dogs and underscores her level of impairment."

Body-worn camera footage from the night of the attack showed Spejcher repeatedly stabbing herself in the neck with a serrated bread knife, despite being shocked multiple times by police with a stun gun.

Spejcher, who still has visible scars on her face and neck, testified in her own defense that she had an out-of-body experience and could hear voices telling her that she had to kill O'Melia in order to bring herself back to life.

O'Melia's family was shocked and disappointed by the verdict. "You're supposed to fight for the victim and his family," Sean O'Melia, the victim's father, said. "I'm sitting there listening to them, and it was a group of people that were out acting purely from either fear of something, maybe politics, publicity, I don't know."

Spejcher faces up to four years in prison for the manslaughter charge. She could also face additional time if she is convicted of the special circumstance allegations, which include committing great violence, being a danger to society, and the use of a weapon.

A second part of the trial will be held on Monday to determine whether Spejcher should be sentenced under the special circumstance allegations.

 

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