After a Greenbrier County murder case ended with a “not guilty by reason of mental illness” plea, the victim’s mother addressed the Greenbrier County Circuit Court and the perpetrator, Edwood G. Reyes-Cortijo, was committed to a mental health institution on Thursday, March 5.
Bradley Jerome Morales-Andrades died on March 21, 2017, in Greenbrier Valley Medical Center as a result of stab wounds. In October 2017, Morales-Andrades’s roommate, Reyes-Cortijo, was indicted for his murder. During the proceedings in the Greenbrier County Circuit Court, a number of mental health evaluations were performed on Reyes-Cortijo, leading to a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The Greenbrier County Prosecutor’s office and Reyes-Cortijo, through defense counsel Joshua Edwards, arranged a plea bargain, one approved by Greenbrier County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dent on Monday, March 2.
The Thursday hearing was allowed for the defense and prosecution to provide additional information and statements to the case, including statements by those most affected by Morales-Andrades’ death. In the gallery were Morales-Andrades’ mother, Elicelia Andrades, relative Elias Andrades, and friend of the family Brenda Berrias. Elicelia Andrades took the stand to speak on the impact of her son’s death through a court translator.
“Not only did you take the life of my son, but you took part of my life,” said Elicelia Andrades. “You disintegrated my family by pure desire and you lost the best friend you had in your life. You know he was your best friend. Truly until the very end, and in the worse time of your life he gave you a hand, gave you a place. He brought you to this state and he found you work so you could survive and get ahead. You deserve what you’re going to pay.”
Reyes-Cortijo entered a not-guilty plea, but the agreement also settles the facts of the case:
“As a result of this plea the parties shall accept and the court shall make a determination … that [Reyes-Cortijo] could have been found guilty of murder in the first degree,” the plea agreement reads. “The court shall further determine that therefore the defendant could have been sentenced to life in prison.”
According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, “a national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment for people with severe mental illness,” approximately 3.3 percent of the U.S. population struggles with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, with millions untreated for the disorders. Those afflicted are typically more likely to harm themselves than anyone else – approximately 50 percent will attempt suicide at during their lifetimes, totaling in the millions, while accounting for only 10 percent of the country’s average homicide rates. Untreated illness in these individuals often leads to homelessness, victimization, suicidality, arrest, and incarceration.
The agreement allows for a chief medical officer or “responsible official” of a mental health facility to determine if Reyes-Cortijo “is not mentally ill or does not have significant dangerousness risk factors associated with mental illness,” he could be moved to a “less restrictive environment,” considering the safety of the community and Reyes-Cortijo’s well-being.
At the end of the hearing, Dent ordered Reyes-Cortijo be transported to the hospital, escorted by officers of the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office.
“I’m going to order that you be committed to William R. Sharp Jr. hospital, a mental health facility, as designated by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, which is the least restrictive environment available to manage you, as well as to allow for the protection of the public,” said Dent. “I’m going to find that you’ve plead not guilty by reason of mental illness to murder in the first degree, that you otherwise could have been convicted of that offense, and therefore the maximum sentence you could have received is [imprisonment] in the state penitentiary for life. I’m going to find that the court will maintain jurisdiction over you for your life, … or until discharged by the court.”
Read more in the Friday, March 6, 2020, edition of The West Virginia Daily News.
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