A Houston man, 21-year-old Benjamin Elliott, was found guilty of murdering his 17-year-old twin sister, Meghan Elliott. The verdict followed a week-long trial focused on a sleepwalking defense. The incident happened at the Elliott's Katy-area home on September 29, 2021, as per ABC13.
During the trial, the prosecution challenged the defense's sleepwalking claims by presenting evidence of Benjamin Elliott's phone activity before the crime. The data showed he was awake and tracked his steps to and from his sister's bedroom. Prosecutor Megan Long said, "While I didn't give you motive, I did give you premeditation. It's not a coincidence that the knife he got the night before is the same knife he used to kill his sister," as stated by ABC13.
Harris County deputies responded to a 911 call and found Benjamin performing CPR on Meghan, who was later pronounced dead. Defense attorney Wes Rucker questioned the likelihood of Benjamin committing the crime, suggesting it would have to be an unusual situation like sleepwalking. Rucker told the jury, "How could a kid who cherishes his sister, who loves her, protects her" as reported by ABC13.
Neurologist Dr. Jerald Simmons, who testified for the defense, said, "I think the jury got it wrong," according to ABC13. He added, "It's totally possible. If it wasn't possible, I would have not taken the position. There are other cases. They are rare, but they can occur." After about five hours of deliberations, the jury reached a guilty verdict. Elliott now faces a sentence in Texas ranging from 5 to 99 years in prison. The punishment phase is scheduled to begin on Tuesday morning, as mentioned by FOX 26 Houston.
