Jury in Santa Barbara finds that Cora Vides was insane at the time of the attempted murder

The same Santa Barbara jury that found 21-year-old Cora Vides guilty of attempted premeditated murder of her Laguna Blanca classmate Georgia Avery in connection with the Valentine's Day 2021 stabbing attack has now concluded that she was insane at the time of the crime, according to a statement released by prosecutors on Wednesday.

In this final phase of the trial, which focused on mental health, the jury had to assume that Vides was of sound mind at the time of the stabbing. The burden of proof was on the defense to prove that Vides had a mental illness or defect at the time of the stabbing and that this defect must have led to her not understanding the quality and nature of her actions. or not being able to distinguish between right and wrong

“After weeks of psychological evaluations and clear evidence of intrusive thoughts of violence toward the victim, the jury concluded in a separate phase of the trial that the defendant was of unsound mind at the time of the attack,” the prosecutor's statement said.

If the jury had found her insane, Vides would have faced 11 years to life behind bars in a state prison. Based on the jury's verdict that she is insane, she will instead be sent to a psychiatric hospital, where doctors will decide how long she will be kept there. The length of her stay could range from six months – the minimum evaluation period – to a maximum of life.

Vides is currently being held without bail. A continuation hearing and detention recommendation are scheduled for Thursday morning.