Who Is Precious Bland Miami Mom Found Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity For Drowning Her 15 Month Old Daughter To Death

Precious Bland waived her right to a jury trial and had a bench trial instead. She was acquitted of multiple criminal charges, including for the death of her daughter, by Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Miguel de la O.

Defense attorney Larry Handfield argued at the trial that Bland suffered a psychotic episode triggered by COVID-19. Handfield told NBC6 that Bland had command hallucinations, and voices told her to baptize her family members, who were also infected with COVID-19.

The arrest report says that Bland, a 43-year-old Miami woman, became distressed and told family members that "Jesus Christ is coming and COVID is going to kill us all," per NBC Miami. She then said everyone needs to be baptized, and that she would baptize everyone in the bathtub, per investigators. After a while, she held her 15-month-old daughter underwater until the child became unresponsive.

Her husband tried to intervene, and a struggle ensued. Bland then grabbed a knife and stabbed him several times.

The husband still managed to escape with four of the couple's children. However, Bland managed to stab her 16-year-old daughter in the forearm before she could step out of the house, according to the report.

The baby was found unresponsive in the bathtub by responding officers. She was rushed to Jackson North Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Bland’s husband and daughter, who were injured, were treated at a hospital and later released.

Judge de la O ruled on Tuesday that Bland did not understand the nature or consequences of her actions when she killed the doctor.

“It’s odd behavior, Judge, it is, but it’s not legal insanity,” Prosecutor Elizabeth Utset argued during the short bench trial, WFOR reported. “The voices and the COVID psychosis are a fabrication and an embellished story.”

Moments after hearing the judge’s verdict, Bland told WFOR, “God is good. This doesn’t bring back my daughter. I’m thankful. I love my children.”

Defense attorney Handfield told NBC6 he believes this is the first successful COVID-related insanity defense in the country. He claimed that a small percentage of people who contract Coronavirus can experience paranoia and suicidal thoughts, and described Bland's condition as temporary insanity.

Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More