Man Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity

Lina Portman3 days ago

0 4 minutes read

A Connecticut man accused of stabbing an off-duty police officer during a horror-themed event at a Parsippany hotel in 2022 was found not guilty by reason of insanity by a Morris County state Superior Court judge on June 28, just over a week after a nontrial.

Judge Claudia Jones issued her written order June 28, finding that David Knestrick's defense attorneys had proven that the 48-year-old was mentally ill or suffered from a mental illness that rendered him incapable of understanding that what he did was wrong when he stabbed a police officer during the Chiller Theater Expo at the Hilton Hotel, causing the man serious injuries.

The affirmative defense does not mean Knestrick did not commit the crime or that he is innocent. Jones noted in his ruling that prosecutors had enough evidence to show Knestrick committed the crimes he was charged with: aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and robbery. It allows Knestrick to be released into the community but requires that he submit to various conditions, including psychiatric treatment.

Forensic Psychology Expert Testifies

Dr. Gianni Pirelli, a forensic psychologist hired by defense attorneys, found that Knestrick suffered from mental health issues before and during the Oct. 30, 2022, stabbing that led to a “failure of reason to truly understand the wrongfulness of his actions.” Knestrick’s primary diagnosis is bipolar disorder with psychotic features, which is consistent with symptoms and behaviors that Knestrick’s doctors had observed in him in the past, Pirelli testified at trial.

Pirelli’s decision was not based on his personal confidence; rather, his opinion was based on a combination of his own assessments of Knestrick and data provided by numerous professional sources that showed significant pre-existing conditions and psychotic symptoms. In May 2022, five months before the stabbing at the show, Knestrick displayed similar “grandeur, rapid thinking, and paranoia” during an encounter with family members that also involved a knife, Jones wrote in his decision.

Pirelli noted that Knestrick regularly used THC – the compound in cannabis that causes a euphoric effect – but called it an “aggravating” factor in the incident, not causation.

“The use of marijuana with THC aggravated the underlying mental illness that was and is present at the time,” Pirelli said.

A defendant’s substance use “muddys the waters,” making it difficult to determine whether it’s the cause of a change in a person’s inhibitions and behaviors, Pirelli said. But he had the benefit of spending time with the case and was able to evaluate Knestrick when he was sober in the fall and winter of 2023, he said. Despite his sobriety, Knestrick still had mental health issues that raised questions, including beliefs related to human trafficking and conspiracies.

Prosecutors countered during the roughly two-hour trial that it was unclear whether Knestrick was actually sober or not during Pirelli's 2023 evaluations. Pirelli noted that he does not drug test his clients, but Knestrick did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol at the time.

According to Pirelli, Knestrick was exhibiting what appeared to be a “deterioration in his mental health” — as opposed to a “sudden change” in behavior — on the day of the assault. Knestrick believed the horror- and sci-fi-themed event was an ideal setting for human traffickers to prey on children and adults, his attorney noted at his November 2022 detention hearing.

Knestrick had grabbed the cellphone of a 12-year-old boy who was taking pictures, thinking the child was being assaulted, defense attorney John Azzarello said. When the boy's father and several others approached, Knestrick told his attorney that someone grabbed his arm just as the security guard was intervening, and believing everyone was involved in a “conspiracy,” Knestrick responded by stabbing the guard.

“I want to see him rot”: victim testifies

Robert Turkowsky, a Kearny police detective who retired in October 2023 after nearly 25 years and was stabbed by Knestrick during the incident, urged the judge to order Knestrick to serve time in prison or in a mental health facility “for as long as you can.”

Turkowsky's liver was lacerated and he was considered “in critical condition” and at risk of several complications, Jones wrote in his decision. Turkowsky, who was working private security at the event, claimed Knestrick tried to attack him twice and that if he had not fallen to the ground after the first stab, “other things could have happened.”

He was not shy about expressing his feelings, stating that he believed that with Knestrick's mental health issues, he should not have been left alone in public.

“He's a threat to society,” he said, adding that he wanted to see Knestrick “rot in a cell.”

The 12-year-old boy's mother also spoke out, saying the incident would impact her son and his family's life “forever.”

“They’re talking about crossing the line,” she said. “Where is the line? Who’s next? That’s what I’m asking.”

Prosecutors asked the court to take steps to ensure Knestrick does not violate conditions, such as drug testing and a ban on nonprescription drugs and alcohol, including marijuana, which Jones granted.

Knestrick will also have to continue his outpatient mental health treatment and will appear before a judge again for a final hearing in August. He will have to comply with treatment and medication requirements and not possess or have access to firearms, knives or any other weapons. He is prohibited from having contact with the child and the officer, as well as their families.

Email: [email protected]; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook.

Forensic Psychology Expert Testifies

“I want to see him rot”: victim testifies

Lina Portman

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