GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — An Oct. 24 trial date was set Monday for Wesley Brice, who allegedly stabbed two people, killing one of them.
Brice, 23, faces nine charges, including first-degree intentional homicide, for the March 15, 2021, incidents on Green Bay’s west side. He has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
While Monday’s hearing was listed as a plea hearing, no deal has been reached in the case.
The defense attorneys are seeking another psychological exam in regards to what’s often called an “insanity” plea, and hope to have a report by mid-June.
If the case goes to trial, the jury would first be asked to determine if Brice is guilty of the charges. If convicted, the jury would then determine if Brice should be held responsible for his actions due to his mental condition at the time. If he’s found responsible for the crime, Payne would be sentenced to prison. If not, he would be committed to a secure psychiatric facility for treatment.
According to the criminal complaint, Brice entered 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 on Broadway, 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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