GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The man accused of stabbing two people, killing one, pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect Monday.
Wesley Brice, 22, faces nine charges, including first-degree intentional homicide, for the March 15 incidents on Green Bay’s west side.
The so-called insanity plea means that first the jury will decide Brice’s guilt or innocence. If convicted, a second phase of the trial would be held to determine if Brice had a mental disease, and, if so, if he lacked the capacity to conform his behavior to the law. If a jury determines he meets those conditions, Brice would be committed to a psychiatric facility. If a jury determines he did not, he would face a life prison term.
No trial date was set. He returns to court Nov. 16 for an update after a psychiatric exam regarding the plea.
According to the criminal complaint (WARNING: Contains graphic details):
Brice entered the Rockabilly’s bar, and started talking with a female bartender. After telling Brice to leave, he dragged her into a bathroom and stabbed her before she was able to get away.
Moments later, police responded to a vehicle near another bar, where a man was found with five stab wounds, including one to the chest.
A witness said Brice punched out a window in the vehicle, then stabbed the victim, age 70. Investigators have not yet released his name.
When police arrived, Brice was near the vehicle, “shouting things like, he is the real God,” and then was placed into custody.
“As officers brought Wesley over to the squad car, he was not making coherent sentences and was saying, ‘I am God.’ Other officers on scene then secured Wesley in the squad car. Officers had the windows rolled down and could hear Wesley still making statements that did not make any sense. Wesley then began repeating his name over and over again saying, ‘Wesley James Brice, Wesley James Brice.’ It was clear to officers on scene that Wesley was in some sort of excited mental state and did not know what was going on,” the complaint states.
After being taken to the hospital, Brice was more coherent and said he didn’t mean to hurt anyone. He also “mentioned that he wanted officers to kill him and he did say that he wanted to die,” the complaint states.
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