A DeKalb County jury on Wednesday found Avondale Estates psychologist Michelle Wierson guilty but mentally ill in the 2018 crash that killed 5-year-old Miles Jenness. The verdict capped a six-day trial at the DeKalb County courthouse and set up a sentencing hearing for Thursday.
Jurors convicted Wierson on two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Prosecutors showed photos of the crushed Toyota and argued Wierson was driving about 50 mph and apparently never hit the brakes. Defense witnesses, including two forensic psychiatrists, testified that she was acting under a delusional compulsion. That clash between crash reconstruction and mental health testimony set the stage for the jury’s “guilty but mentally ill” decision.
High court ruling narrowed what jurors could hear
The trial followed a Georgia Supreme Court ruling last year that barred prosecutors from using evidence that Wierson had stopped taking psychiatric medication to rebut an insanity defense, a decision that limited what the state could present to jurors, according to The Associated Press. Local outlets had tracked that legal battle earlier, including insanity defense coverage that highlighted how judges’ calls on medication evidence would shape what jurors were allowed to hear.
How the crash unfolded
Reporting from the time of the wreck says Wierson’s Volkswagen slammed into a Toyota that was stopped at a red light near South Candler and Midway roads in September 2018. Bystanders and passing officers performed CPR on Miles at the scene, according to WSB-TV. The 5-year-old suffered catastrophic injuries and died days later, and investigators described Wierson’s behavior at the scene as erratic. The crash led to criminal charges that ultimately put her in front of a DeKalb County jury this month.
Sentence and next steps
First-degree vehicular homicide in Georgia carries a potential sentence of three to fifteen years, a range the judge is expected to weigh at Thursday’s hearing, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The “guilty but mentally ill” verdict holds Wierson criminally responsible while also recognizing that she was suffering from severe mental illness at the time. Prosecutors have said she will be turned over to the Georgia Department of Corrections after sentencing.
Separate from the criminal case, Miles’ family has also pursued a civil claim tied to the crash, a move detailed in earlier coverage by The Associated Press. The verdict, of course, cannot touch the Jenness family’s loss; courtroom accounts described raw emotion as jurors announced their decision. Thursday’s sentencing will determine how much time, if any, Wierson spends behind bars and is likely to be followed by appeals and continued civil proceedings.
