HARTFORD — A former drama student at a Connecticut university charged with stabbing two other students while rehearsing a movie scene will pursue an insanity defense.
The Hartford Courant reports that 21-year-old former University of Hartford student Jake Wascher is expected to go to trial Oct. 11.
Wascher’s attorney, Richard Brown, has discussed the plan to seek an insanity defense with prosecutor Vicki Melchiorre, who said she will not contest it.
The San Diego man is charged with two counts of first-degree assault and carrying a dangerous weapon in connection with the March 31 stabbings in a residence hall. Both victims are recovering.
If Wascher is acquitted, he still faces commitment to a psychiatric facility for a term that could exceed the prison sentence he could receive if he is found guilty.
