State v. Flanney

Citations

• 61 Wash. 482
• 112 P. 630
• 1911 Wash. LEXIS 1106

Syllabus

<p>Homicide — Defense—Insanity—Evidence—Admissibility. Upon the defense of insanity to a charge of murder of accused’s wife, after a foundation is laid by some evidence of mental aberration, it is error to exclude evidence that the wife, an Indian, had joined the Shakers, a religious organization practicing promiscuous illicit intercourse, whereby the accused was so greatly distressed in mind that his .reason was dethroned; since he was entitled to the benefit of any competent evidence tending to account for or naturally lead up to insanity; and the delusion of marital infidelity is a recognized symptom of homicidal insanity.</p>