Man accused of torturing woman files notice for insanity defense
After losing his attorney and facing a new witness intimidation charge, Aaron Schoenrock will argue he was insane when he allegedly tortured a woman in May in Port Huron.
Aaron Schoenrock filed his notice to argue insanity on Thursday. A notice was also filed stating he would now be represented in his torture case by Senior Assistant Public Defenders Meggan Delisi and Jennifer Rutkowski.
Schoenrock was arrested in June after a woman reported she was held captive and tortured by Schoenrock and his then-girlfriend, Jolynn Hirsch. The victim said she was beaten, threatened with a chainsaw and forced to write a suicide letter at gunpoint.
Hirsch has since admitted guilt and entered a plea deal which requires her to testify against Schoenrock if his case goes to trial.
Officials allege Schoenrock tried to have his mother forward Hirsch a letter asking her to recant her statements to police. The letter was intercepted by law enforcement and he was charged. St. Clair County Senior Prosecutor Joshua Sparling has requested the two cases be consolidated.
Delisi first raised concern about Schoenrock's mental health at his preliminary hearing for the witness intimidation charge, saying Schoenrock had said he was hearing voices. The judge dismissed her request for a competency evaluation , expressing concern that Schoenrock was being disingenuous to delay court proceedings.
The defense has since filed a new motion for Schoenrock to undergo a mental health evaluation.
The motion states Schoenrock has been seeing mental health professionals during his incarceration. It also cites several interactions between Schoenrock and his attorneys, both current and former, which the defense says raised questions about his ability to understand the trial and contribute to his own defense.
In his motion to withdraw, David Goldstein, Schoenrock's previous attorney, said there had been a breakdown of trust between them, but he did not want to include the reasons in writing to protect Schoenrock's privacy.
The motion sets out the standards for legal insanity under Michigan law.
"A defendant is legally insane, or lacking criminal responsibility, when defendant lacks substantial capacity either to appreciate the nature and quality of the wrongfulness of his or her conduct," the motion states.
Schoenrock has been charged with 10 felonies including torture, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, unlawful imprisonment, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, and three counts of felony firearm possession.
A hearing on the motion has been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Feb. 26.
Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Man accused of torturing woman files notice for insanity defense
