An Augusta woman who was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the stabbing deaths of her two small children will remain in a mental institution for at least another year.
Chief Judge J. Carlisle Overstreet made the decision Monday at the conclusion of a Richmond County Superior Court hearing.
Two doctors who examined Jeanette Hawes, 24, said she was insane at the time she killed 3-year-old Shakayla Hawes and 1-year-old Jordan Hawes on Nov. 29, 2007.
The doctors believe Ms. Hawes suffered a psychotic breakdown that afternoon when she walked her children inside the restroom at the Lumpkin Road convenience store and repeatedly stabbed them.
In a Jan. 7 bench trial, Judge Overstreet found her not guilty by reason of insanity.
Monday's hearing, which is called a 30-day hearing, was delayed until Ms. Hawes could be returned from the mental hospital in Savannah, Ga., Assistant Public Defender Debra Neumann said.
Ms. Neumann cited the most recent mental evaluation, which indicated that Ms. Hawes' mental health needs could be handled through outpatient care.
Assistant District Attorney Philip Catalano pointed to the section of the report that stated Ms. Hawes continues to lack insight into what happened and that she experiences negative thoughts when not medicated.
A relapse is still possible, he said.
Ms. Hawes and her family of supporters believes she has recovered from the psychotic episode sufficiently to return home.
"I have gotten 100 percent better, Judge Overstreet," Ms. Hawes said. She pledged to always take medication as prescribed.
Judge Overstreet said he was still concerned about her ability to care for herself and to consistently take her medication.
He declined to end her commitment.
By law, a judge has to annually review the case of anyone committed to a mental institution after a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Please keep her in custody until she gets it. Her family is not the answer. She needs to continue with professional care.
This is the saddest story to hit the paper in many years. How does a person heal from murdering their two beautiful children and how can you tell? "I have gotten 100 percent better, Judge Overstreet," sounds like she still feels it's all about her feelings, not her actions. Isn't that why she killed her children?
Do not call her Mother. She is not one. Yes it is highly likely there will be a relapse. A lot of patients in hospital have relapsed time and time again.. 6 months is not enough time no matter what..
sad situation..
Judge Overstreet made the correct decision here. She needs help that she would not be able to afford outside. This is a very sad story.
This is crazy. If the system allow her back on the streets, whose to say she want have more children and do the same exact thing. SHE IS NOT CRAZY! We are more harsh on invidiuals killing a damn dog than a human. IF I was a judge, she'll be executed. I don't feel sorry for her. If she was crazy she would have attempted to take her own life and not the children. Why do we even have a system?
This is crazy. If the system allow her back on the streets, whose to say she want have more children and do the same exact thing. SHE IS NOT CRAZY! We are more harsh on invidiuals killing a damn dog than a human. IF I was a judge, she'll be executed. I don't feel sorry for her. If she was crazy she would have attempted to take her own life and not the children. Why do we even have a system?
This entire case with her being declared mentally ill just shows how screwed up some of the judges are in our court systems. She killed those children so that she could be with her boyfriend. In one of the first articles it was stated he didn't like the kids and was leaving her. She had been in Atlanta for several days probably on drugs prior to killing those babies. She should never be released. How do you get well from killing two babies. Anyone can pretend they have "voices" in their head. She should be executed.
I swear for lord...if they let this girl out that stabbed those two precious babies, I'm gonna go bazookas. I CANNOT fathom that she is NOT IN JAIL!! What is wrong with this world? I hope Judge Overstreet sleeps well at night.
onlynaugusta and getalife. YOU are SPOT ON. Prolifer???????? She AIN'T GONNA GET IT OK??????
please!!!! fight for the children. please do not ever ever let this mom free. what about the children????????? does anyone care about them?????????????????????????
SO if she is "recovered", put her in Jail!! She KILLED her two children! If she is let go, who's to say she isn't going to get pregnant and do this again? There is NO WAY this person should be on the streets. NO way.
I can't believe getting out is even being considered. If someone else had stabbed her 2 children, this person would be in jail right now. Anyone that kills innocent children is CRAZY anyway, so according to this sentence, all of them should be in mental institutions. This even sounds CRAZY! Hope this judge makes her get fixed before he lets her out and back on the street. I'm with everybody else, she will only get pregnant and do it again if she isn't stopped!!
But golly....she was just going through a deep depression...it was her upbringing....she was raised in the mountains on an Indian Reservation by the Amish!
It would have been much better for her to kill herself and let the state take care of those precious babies than for the state to take care of her for the rest of her life. She will get state help forever and she will claim she can not get a job because of her mental state and medications -- if she is doing well enough to be left out then have her tubes tied so she can not have any more children and put her butt in jail -- insane or not -- you do not walk down the street into a store into a bathroom and kill your kids because of a breakdown! Judges - WAKE UP --
Remember the Mom, Susan, in SC that drove her two little boys in the lake, her butt still sits in jail. She killed her two little ones because the man she was having an affair with didn't want them. There's nothing wrong with these women except they only think about themselves. Judge Overstreet should have put her under the jail. Six months, you don't get over mental illness in six months. Ms. Neumann says she's ready for out-patient treatment. Has she ever been a mother?? Can she picture these babies when their own Mother was stabbing them? Close your eyes and think how they felt. This woman should be put away for life. Mental illness is not something you turn on and off just to satisfy your own selfish world. SusieQ
Susie - that mother in Union, SC is still in jail probably because of racial inequality and injustice since she is white. Isn't that correct justus4?
Her babies deserve justice. She should be executed.
Non of this was the Judge's fault. If I recall, even the State's expert testified that she was incapable from telling right from wrong at the time of the offense. The judge just made the decision to place her in a facility and get her treatment instead of just letting her go.
You got to love a judicial system where lack of mental capacity is a valid excuse to commit crime.
Ode- You may have hit the nail on the head with your 11:17 Post. It just "ain't Fair"! I can just see her stabbing those poor babies. She needs to be in prison. They are safe in Jesus's arms now. SusieQ
There is nothing wrong with this woman. Her lawyers were smart enough to outsmart the system on her behalf by going to a bench trial instead of a jury trial, because they knew she would not have stood a chance in a jury trial. She would have been where she belongs, in prison. She may just figure out how to outsmart the doctors at the mental hoapital and get returned to the streets one day. But she will never outsmart the final judge! Burn, baby, burn.
Amen to that! SusieQ
I'm surprised that no one heard a noise coming from the bathroom when this happened. I'm not familiar with this store but aren't the bathrooms inside. She must have had blood on her when she came out. Seems like someone would have suspected something. SusieQ
the state has to consent to a bench trial just like the defendant. if the state had objected, they would have had a jury trial. also the bathroom door was locked from the inside and the defendant didnt come out, they had to go in and get her is my recollection.
I was at work near the store when it happened.
"I have gotten 100 percent better, Judge Overstreet," Ms. Hawes said.
THAT DOES NOT BRING BACK TWO INNOCENT CHILDREN
So she says she has gotten 100 percent better. She pledged to always take medication as prescribed. PLease don't let this women get away with killing her beautiful kids and be able to get out free. She needs to be kept where she can be watched and it should be ordered that she can not have any more children.
It makes me sick to think about this lady coming into that court room with such a vicous smile on her face and even going so far to wave at someone in the courtroom. She can say hello, but her children will forever be died and not allowed to express any of there emotions. Put her in the electric chair, lets make her an example.
"Ms. Hawes continues to lack insight into what happened and that she experiences negative thoughts when not medicated" I did not see it but it seems to me if what Evans, GA stated is true that she was waving at someone in the courtroom and had a smile on her face....then maybe the girl is mentally unstable and doesn't really know what she did to those two babies. But then again there are some evil people in this world but I doubt putting her to dealth in the electric chair will set an example. After it's overwith she'll be forgotten and society will move on to the next tragedy.
it is very hurtful and sad to know that our mental state when under stress can sometimes lead or cause us to make underirable decisions and leave us helpless to shame discuss and confusion. really people put your self in her shoes,if you went through half of the things this lady been through;your mind would be as messy as hers. this woman is mentally unstable seriously no doubtand should not be lrt out into society ever again. my opinion is that she needs to stay in a facility that will not only help accept her role in killing her children,and help her cope with being locked up in either prison or a mental institution. all the while working herself back to reality. look at the bigger picture here if anyone understands anything about demonic forces then you know where i'm coming from. this is not naturalbut a spiritual battle the mind and body experiences daily.ms.hawes was just one person who couldn't fight off the demonic struggles that tormented her mind. i'm sure at some point she didn't want to hurt her children but those demonic forces over took her. so please before we judge this woman as playing mentally ill put yourself in her shoes,it could have happened to you,seriously .