Man not guilty due to mental defect in mom's murder

A man from Orange was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect in the stabbing death of his mother. Police and prosecutors accused Timothy Granata, 24, of stabbing his mother Claudia

News 12 Staff

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Nov 10, 2015, 4:15 AM

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Updated 3,334 days ago

A man from Orange was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect in the stabbing death of his mother.

Police and prosecutors accused Timothy Granata, 24, of stabbing his mother Claudia in their home last year.

A three-judge panel heard Granata's case and reached the decision unanimously.

News 12 previously reported that Granata had admitted to the crime in July 2014.

Granata's attorney, Hugh Keefe, said the judges decided his client had paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the attack.

Granata will remain in state custody at a mental health institution until he is deemed no longer a danger to himself or others, which, according to Keefe, "could be a substantial period of time."

The sentence will place Granata at the Whitting Forensic Institute, where he will undergo further examination and treatment. The court will review the facility's findings in January 2016.

Granata's father expressed gratitude to both the prosecution and defense attorneys.

"It's a terrible tragedy," said Dr. Attilio Granata. "We look forward now to some years of therapy and treatment, and hopefully for Tim's full recovery."