The man charged with killing his 70-year-old father with garden shears in Beach Park in 2019 has been found not guilty by reason of insanity, a judge said.
George W. Bryce, 23, of the 12900 block of Peacock Road in Beach Park, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Warren H. Bryce, 70, of Beach Park.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded at 3:05 p.m. July 18, 2019, to the 12900 block of Peacock Road and found Warren Bryce laying on the floor with multiple sharp-force injuries, Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Lt. Christopher Covelli said at the time.
Deputies administered aid to the man before he was transported by ambulance to Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan with critical injuries. He died the next day around 1:30 p.m., Covelli said.
“The initial responding deputies quickly ascertained the man’s son, George W. Bryce, was responsible for causing the injuries to his father,” Covelli said.
Detectives learned that George Bryce and his father were involved in a “domestic-related incident” when George Bryce attacked his father, Warren Bryce, with a pair of garden shears, Covelli said.
A Lake County judge ordered Bryce to undergo mental health treatment at a secure facility in Elgin after the incident. He spent two months at the facility before being deemed fit and was sent back to the Lake County jail.
Bryce pleaded not guilty to the charges in December 2019. Lake County Judge Patricia Fix ruled during a bench trial on Tuesday that Bryce was not guilty by reason of insanity.
She said that Bryce could not substantially appreciate the criminality of his acts in July 2019 when he killed his father, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Fix ordered Bryce to be turned over to the Illinois Department of Human Services for an evaluation at a secure mental health facility.
Attorney’s said Bryce’s mental health was deteriorating in the days leading up to his father’s murder, which was witnessed by his mother. Bryce had reportedly suffered from mental health problems since he was 12 years old, the Tribune reported.