A judge has ruled that a woman who asserted she was God and shot her friend’s husband in the face is not guilty due to insanity.
Court documents indicate that Judge Andrew Roesener delivered Alicia Haupt’s verdict concerning charges of murder, aggravated assault, and attempted murder on January 30, following a bench trial, which involved a judge rather than a jury.
Haupt’s verdict was issued nearly one year after she fatally shot 35-year-old Jacob Harville on February 5, 2024. As reported by WXIN-TV, a deputy from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office encountered Haupt on that date while she was near a GMC Sierra. Haupt allegedly informed the deputy that the vehicle did not belong to her, but rather to “the man I shot in the face.” She also referred to herself as “God” and claimed to have killed Satan “before he could kill us all.”
According to WXIN, Haupt resided with Harville and his wife, whom she referred to as her “best friend.” After the shooting, she allegedly aimed the gun at Harville’s mother, but the weapon malfunctioned.
The Daily Journal reported that Harville’s wife had previously taken Haupt to the hospital due to her claims of having another person living within her. Haupt was diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis in 2022.
During Haupt’s sentencing hearing, Judge Roesener acknowledged that she had killed Harville but stated that she could not “appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct.” He instructed prosecutors to file a petition for her commitment to a mental health facility, which they did before the conclusion of the hearing.
Roesener expressed, “I see and feel the heartaches, the sadness, the anger.”
Following the ruling, Harville’s father voiced his discontent, stating, “This is not right. It’s not justice for my son, Jacob Harville. It’s no justice whatsoever.”
Also Read | Redemption & Guilt: Why You Need to Read ‘Crime and Punishment’
