Benjamin Elliott Texas man convicted of killing twin sister, Meghan Elliot gets 15 years jail. Defendant blamed sleepwalking for the sibling’s stabbing death.
A Texas man who blamed sleepwalking for the stabbing death of his twin sister was on Tuesday sentenced to 15 years jail. The sentencing comes one day after a jury found him guilty of his sibling’s murder after just 5 hours of deliberations.
Following Benjamin Elliott being convicted of felony murder of his sister, Meghan Elliott, 17, defense lawyers for the now 21 year old man had sought a ‘lenient’ sentence of only 5 years. The judge prior to delivering his 15 year prison sentence had also noted the jury urging him to consider a lighter sentence.
Previous reports told of responding officers arriving at the family’s residence in Katy, Texas at 4:42 a.m. on September 29, 2021 where they found Benjamin Elliot performing CPR on his sister.
Premeditated? But what was the motive?
According to the sheriff’s office, Meghan Elliott had multiple stab wounds and was pronounced dead by emergency medical services at the scene.
In a recorded statement played for the jury during his trial, Elliott described waking from a dream to find himself standing over his sister. He said he removed the knife and called 911 to report that he had stabbed her.
Harris County Assistant District Attorney Maroun Koutani argued that cell phone evidence contradicted the defendant’s sleepwalking claim, stating Benjamin was awake and on his phone some 20 minutes before the killing.
‘While I didn’t give you motive, I did give you premeditation. It’s not a coincidence that the knife he got the night before is the same knife he used to kill his sister,’ prosecutor Megan Long told the jury during closing arguments.
The defense argued that the killing was unintentional.
‘How could a kid who cherishes his sister, who loves her, protects her,’ Defense attorney Wes Rucker told jurors. ‘How could someone commit a crime that heinous without a reasonable explanation?’
Sleepwalking as defense previously used
Members of the defendant’s own family claimed Benjamin seemingly having a history of sleepwalking, KHOU reported.
Prosecutors had also alleged the brother using a pillow to muffle his sister’s screams.
Not everyone believed the jury made the right decision, with one expert, Dr. Jerald Simmons, a neurologist, telling KTRK after the verdict, ‘I think the jury got it wrong.’
Adding, ‘It’s totally possible. If it wasn’t possible, I would have not taken the position. There are other cases. They are rare, but they can occur.’
The sleepwalking defense is rare but has been used in the past. In May, 2019, Randy Herman Jr claimed this defense during his murder trial in Florida for stabbing to death his roommate, but he was convicted and sentenced to life in the woman’s slaying.
During trial testimony, the defendant had testified having no memory of the attack, ‘just being covered in blood with a knife in his hand,’ the Palm Beach Post previously reported.
