Santa Barbara Jury Finds Cora Vides Was Legally Insane at Time of Attempted Murder
Vides, 21, Will Be Committed to State Psychiatric Hospital for Six Months to Life
The same Santa Barbara jury that found 21-year-old Cora Vides guilty of first-degree attempted murder in the 2021 Valentine’s Day stabbing of her Laguna Blanca classmate, Georgia Avery, at the Vides family home has found that she was legally insane at the time of the crime, according to a statement released by the District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday.
In this latest sanity phase of the trial, the jury had to assume that Vides was sane at the time of the stabbing, and the burden lay on the defense to prove that Vides had a mental disease or defect at the time and that this defect must have caused her to not understand the quality and nature of her actions or to not know right from wrong.
“After weeks of expert psychological testimony and clear indications of intrusive violent ideations related to the victim, the jury found in a separate phase of the trial that the defendant was legally insane at the time of the attack,” the DA’s Office statement reads.
Had the jury found her sane, Vides would have faced 11 years to life behind bars in a state prison. Based on the jury’s finding of insanity, she will instead be sent to a psychiatric hospital, where doctors will decide how long she is committed. Her length of stay could range from six months ― the minimum assessment period ― to a maximum of life.
Vides is currently being held without bail, and the case is set for continued hearing and placement recommendation on Thursday morning.
Update:
The California Department of State Hospital’s Conditional Release Program (CONREP) will review Vides’s mental health records, trial notes, police reports, and more to determine at which state psychiatric hospital she will serve her sentence.
Generally, CONREP has 15 days from an insanity verdict to make a placement recommendation, and the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office has 30 days to transport the individual. However, due to scheduling conflicts in this case, a hearing will be held on October 7 to review the state’s placement recommendation prior to transfer.
The court will also hear “impact statements” from those closely affected by Vides’s crime. Statements may be made by the victim, the victim’s family and friends, as well as Vides’s family and friends. The court will consider them when deciding where Vides will end up.
From there, doctors will conduct their initial assessment over a six-month period to craft a treatment plan for Vides. Their plan might involve releasing her into an outpatient program, or keeping her in the state hospital for much longer.
