STOUGHTON, WI – Authorities say a 34-year-old woman is facing attempted homicide charges after allegedly attacking her father during what she described as a hallucination in which she believed he was the devil.
Police responded to an incident in the early morning hours of July 1 at a home on South Page Street in Stoughton, a community located about 20 miles southeast of Madison. According to investigators, Jamie Anderson is accused of walking 16 miles from her apartment in Madison to her father’s residence before carrying out the attack.
Officers report that Anderson arrived at her father’s home and rang the doorbell. When her father answered, she reportedly told him she wanted the hallucinations to stop and then requested a hug. Anderson’s father says he responded by asking if she was under the influence of drugs, at which point authorities say she attempted to stab him in the head.
The criminal complaint states that Anderson continued her assault, allegedly slashing at her father multiple times and repeating her intention to kill him. Police say a struggle ensued, leading the father to push Anderson over a coffee table to escape.
First responders found the man on his front stoop around 6 a.m. with visible injuries, including significant bleeding from his left arm. He reportedly told officers that his daughter had attempted to kill him and was still somewhere inside the house.
Police located Anderson descending a side stairway into an alley, holding a knife with an orange blade. When commanded to drop the weapon, she complied and was taken into custody without further incident.
During police interviews, Anderson allegedly confessed to experiencing hallucinations and claimed to believe her father was the embodiment of the devil. She also reportedly admitted to slashing him several times and said her intention was to kill him.
The victim sustained serious injuries from the attack, requiring staples in his head and surgery on his arm. Despite his injuries, he expressed to police that he believed his daughter’s actions were due to her mental state, attributing the incident to her “[mind being] cooked” from drug use.
Anderson has been charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon, a charge augmented by a domestic abuse assessment. Authorities say she remains in the Dane County Jail on $500,000 bond, with a no-contact order issued concerning her father should she post bail.
A public defender has been appointed to represent Anderson. Her next court appearance is scheduled for August 5, according to court records.