An Early US Insanity Acquittal on Postpartum Psychosis
Case summary
In 1988 Thompson drowned her nine-month-old son in the bathtub in Sacramento after hearing what she believed was the voice of God telling her the child was the devil. The judge found her not guilty by reason of insanity and ordered outpatient treatment rather than confinement, allowing her to return home. The case is one of the earliest widely reported American decisions in which postpartum psychosis was accepted as the basis of an insanity finding, and is frequently cited alongside Sheryl Massip's 1988 California case as the point at which US courts began to engage with the illness. Thompson recovered, completed a master's degree in nursing, and has spoken publicly about her experience.
Mental-health context
Thompson, a registered nurse, became floridly delusional after stopping breastfeeding. She told the court she believed her husband was Jesus Christ and that if she killed the baby he would be raised to life again in three days. She was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has remained well on medication for decades.
Status / outcome
Not guilty by reason of insanity; ordered into outpatient treatment
Sources
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/wellness/1988/08/23/high-risk-mothers/5c8fabe1-42bf-4705-8f36-5e17ee61364d/
- https://www.npr.org/2002/02/18/1138240/postpartum-psychosis-one-mothers-story
- https://www.kqed.org/news/11797827/postpartum
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