Attorney was shot to death with own gun; son had psychotic episode, former law partner says
The son of a South Carolina criminal defense lawyer shot his father to death with the attorney’s own 9 millimeter handgun, witnesses said at a Friday court hearing.
A lawyer for the 23-year-son, who has been charged with murder, said Osiris Hinton acted in the midst of a psychotic episode on Sunday when he allegedly killed his 47-year-old father, reports the Herald.
The son’s attorney, Michael Brown, is a former law partner of the slain attorney, Oshyn Cyrus Hinton.
Brown and Phoebe Hinton, the widow of the victim and the mother of the defendant, blamed mental illness and ineffective treatment for the killing. Osiris Hinton, who had previously been hospitalized for mental illness, had a new psychiatrist and his medication recently had been changed, according to the two.
“The situation is not Osiris’ fault,” said Phoebe Hinton. “Because of someone else we have to deal with this loss. We love Osiris and his family is behind him. We don’t blame him.”
It isn’t clear how the son got hold of the gun, the newspaper notes.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Prominent Va. attorney and lawmaker stabbed by son in attempted murder-suicide, authorities say”
ABAJournal.com: “Apparent suicide of lawmaker’s son after stabbing dad is likely to revive mental-health debate”
CNN: “Creigh Deeds: ‘The system failed my son’”
Washington Post (reg. req.): “A father’s scars: For Va.’s Creigh Deeds, tragedy brings unending questions”
