Springfield woman who allegedly stabbed uncle wants court to toss evidence

Rebecca Isaac

Rebecca Isaac

Attorneys for a woman who allegedly stabbed her uncle in the chest over $300 wants evidence against her tossed from court.

A defense motion filed in the case against Rebecca Isaac, 37, of Springfield, says a psychiatrist determined Isaac wasn’t competent to waive her Miranda rights before she was interviewed by police.

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“In a written opinion, Dr. (Barbra) Bergman states the following: ‘On the basis of the present evaluation, the following opinion is offered within a reasonable degree of psychological certainty: Ms. Isaac was not competent to make a knowing and intelligent waiver of her rights per Miranda v. Arizona,’” the motion says.

Isaac is facing an attempted murder charge in connection with the stabbing of her uncle in 2018. She has entered a not guilty by reason of insanity plea and is currently incarcerated at the Clark County Jail.

A suppression hearing in the case is set for March 5.

Springfield police began their investigation when they were called to a home on the 2100 block of Gerald Drive in reference to a stabbing.

“Upon officers arrival, they located the victim inside the residence and (he) was bleeding profusely from a chest wound. Medics responded and immediately transported him to Springfield Regional Medical Center where his injuries were assessed and because of the severity, he was transported by CareFlight to Miami Valley Hospital,” the affidavit says.

The affidavit says there was blood scattered throughout the home and several cabinets and closets were open which appeared to be ransacked.

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Officers spoke with a family member who stated she received a call from the victim after the assault and told her that Isaac came to his house and stabbed and robbed him of $300, according to the affidavit.

“Detectives spoke to the victim at Miami Valley Hospital,” the affidavit says. “He stated he was sitting in his chair when he awoke to a pain in his chest and stated his niece was stabbing him with a knife and demanded $500 at which time he stated ‘Becky do you know what you’re doing?’ and she replied ‘I’m going to kill you if I don’t get the money.’”Isaac allegedly continued to stab the victim and forced him to retrieve $300 out of a safe.

The affidavit filed in court doesn’t describe the interview between Isaac and police. However, the defense motion says Isaac was interviewed by Springfield police on June 20 on camera. The motion says while it appears Isaac waived her rights, the court should find that she couldn’t legally do so at the time.

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“Defendant respectfully requests that any and all statements made by the defendant while the defendant was in custody and made in response to questions asked by law enforcement be suppressed,” the motion says.

Clark County Common Pleas Judge Richard O’Neil previously ruled that Isaac is competent to stand trial.

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