State v. Fetters
Iowa Court of Appeals
562 N.W.2d 770 (1997)
Kristina Fetters (defendant), a resident of a psychiatric treatment facility, planned with another resident to run away and kill her elderly great-aunt, Arlene Klehm. After leaving the facility, Fetters went to Klehm's home, beat her with a frying pan, and stabbed her to death. Fetters admitted the killing to police but claimed she was not guilty by reason of insanity or diminished capacity. At trial, other residents testified Fetters seemed to know exactly what she was doing and had planned it out. A jury convicted Fetters of first-degree murder, and she appealed.
Whether a defendant raising an insanity defense in Iowa bears the burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that she could not understand the nature of her act or could not distinguish right from wrong.