PARIS — A judge says a Maine man charged with sexually assaulting and killing his mother-in-law in front of his 6-year-old daughter was not criminally responsible for his actions.
The decision on Monday means Paul Orchard, who was using an insanity defense, will be sent to the Riverview Psychiatric Center instead of prison.
Orchard was previously been treated for mental illness.
WMTW-TV reports a mental health evaluation indicates he appeared to be having delusions, and had a history of bipolar disorder.
Orchard was charged with killing 57-year-old Paula Nuttall in Peru in 2014. Police arrived to find Orchard naked and covered in polyurethane he’d been using to refinish a hardwood floor. According to court documents, Orchard said he was on a “vapor high” and did not remember anything.
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