2016-09-22

Hair-wad murder suspect not guilty due to insanity

Hair-wad murder suspect not guilty due to insanity

Donald R. Winslow

Mary Elizabeth Cheatheam, who in October 2015 was charged with the strangulation murder of her husband, Samuel Luke Cheatheam, 65, has been found not guilty by reason of insanity during a bench trial, Randall County First Assistant District Attorney Robert Love said Wednesday.

The verdict stems from an incident on Oct. 9, 2015, when police were dispatched to the American Motor Inn at 4519 Canyon Drive, on a call of a man who was in cardiac arrest.

Detectives from the Amarillo Police Department's Special Crimes Unit investigated the case following suspicions that were raised by the initial investigation. Autopsy results for Samuel Cheatheam reported that his death was the result of a homicide.

Mary Cheatheam, who was 57 at the time, was charged with his murder.

The autopsy revealed an "upper airway obstruction" caused by a "hair wad" that was a contributing factor in his death.

Based on the judge's verdict, Cheatheam was ordered to be held in state custody while her mental status is further evaluated and a hospital is selected for her residency.

A hearing that could be held as early as next week in Canyon's 181st District Court could determine where in the Texas mental health care hospital system Cheatheam will be sent.

Love said Cheatheam will likely be sent to the North Texas State Hospital in Vernon for additional evaluation.

Based on medical opinions rendered there, she could remain at Vernon indefinitely or be sent to a different hospital within the state's system.

"There is no time limit" on how long Cheatheam may be hospitalized, the state's attorney said. "It could be for the rest of her life."

The courts will re-

evaluate Cheatheam's mental status at various times, and periodic evaluations will be provided to the court as her case progresses, Love said.

According to public records, Mary (Ray) Cheatheam married Sam Cheatheam in November 1998.