COVINGTON, Ky. (TCN) — A 19-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for beating his grandmother to death.
On October 8, 2024, police responded to a home after receiving a report of an active assault. According to police records obtained by WXIX, an anonymous relative dialed 911 and stated that her nephew was out of control.
When they arrived, they found 74-year-old Cheri Oliver suffering from head trauma. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Wyatt Testerman, then 18, was taken into custody without incident.
WKRC reports Testerman pleaded guilty but mentally ill in the fatal beating in May. He was sentenced July 7 to life in prison and will be eligible for parole after 20 years.
Testerman and his defense said he was in a drug-induced psychosis during the attack. He had been staying with Oliver at the time of her death after being released from the hospital following treatment for an LSD overdose. He said he was continuing to abuse the drug at the time he killed her. In court, family members said Oliver was reportedly “thrilled” that Testerman was staying with her, helping her with errands, and taking her to her medical appointments, according to WKRC.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders said that a video Testerman recorded was a key piece of evidence in the case against him. Testerman used Oliver’s phone to record himself beating her to death with a metal tumbler. Sanders said, “What he did to his grandmother was nothing short of animalistic,” according to WKRC.
WXIX reports that according to prosecutors, drug-induced psychosis is not a reason for an insanity defense since the substance was consumed voluntarily.
At the sentencing, Testerman apologized for his actions. According to WKRC, he said, “My grandma was one of the nicest, most caring people who ever walked the earth. … I thought my sweet little grandma was a true danger. Now, I must live the rest of my life knowing that I ended her life in the most horrible and frightening way. Please allow me the opportunity to apologize from the bottom of my heart to my entire family.”
According to an online obituary, Oliver was a volunteer for a local women’s shelter and for Al-Anon, an organization dedicated to helping friends and family members of those with substance abuse.
MORE:
