West
California woman who avoided prison after stabbing boyfriend 108 times while high appealing light sentence
A California woman who got out of jail scot-free after stabbing her boyfriend 108 times in a marijuana-induced psychosis is appealing her slap-on-the-wrist conviction, arguing that she was tricked into using the drug to begin with.
Bryn Spejcher, 32, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after she stabbed Chad O’Melia, 26, dozens of times before turning the knife on her dog and then herself.
She received a sentence of two years on probation and 100 hours of community service.
LAWYER FOR CALIFORNIA WOMAN AVOIDING JAIL IN MARIJUANA STABBING STANDS BY ‘PSYCHOTIC’ DEFENSE: ‘NOT A CON JOB’
Bryn Spejcher reacts as the jury finds her guilty of manslaughter on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, for the 2018 cannabis-induced killing of Chad O’Melia. Jurors deliberated less than a day before returning their verdict in the afternoon. (ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK)
In a new interview, she revealed she plans to appeal the slap on the wrist because she believes O’Melia tricked her into using the drug, she told the Daily Mail.
Although the two were dating, Spejcher told the outlet she never considered O’Melia her official boyfriend and said she told him she no longer had any romantic interest in him two days before killing him.
She claimed he was aggressive, intimidating and had a temper, she told the outlet. So when he encouraged her to hit a bong on the day of the stabbing, she gave into the pressure — then went into a deadly psychosis.
CALIFORNIA WOMAN WHO GOT HIGH AND STABBED BOYFRIEND 108 TIMES WILL NOT TO GO PRISON, JUDGE RULES
Sean O’Melia joined ‘America’s Newsroom’ to remember his son, Chad, who was fatally stabbed by a California woman. (The O’Melia Family)
“Yes, I physically inhaled it,” she said. “So, we’re both accountable, but there’s obviously been more attention to my part [in the attack] versus Chad’s part.”
Her lawyers have maintained that O’Melia introduced her to a hyper-potent strain of marijuana that she wasn’t ready for, resulting in an adverse reaction that sent her into a deadly craze. They did not immediately respond to questions about the appeal Friday morning, before business hours on the West Coast.
“The defense presented in court was not a ‘con job’ as some have described it,” her attorney Michael Goldstein told Fox News Digital after the initial sentencing.
CALIFORNIA MAN WHO PUMMELED, SHOT AT FEMALE DEPUTY FOUND NOT GUILTY DESPITE VIDEO OF ATTACK
Bryn Spejcher, left, was sentenced to 100 days of community service after stabbing Chad O’Melia, right, 108 times in his LA apartment. (Ventura County District Attorney’s Office/Fox & Friends First)
Months before the fatal encounter, O’Melia’s roommate also had an “extreme reaction” after smoking out of the same bong, Goldstein said. He suffered hallucinations and fear of death.
Spejcher had only smoked pot less than a half-dozen times prior to the stabbing, her lawyers said, describing her as a “naive user.” She worked at the UCLA Medical Center as an audiologist and is hearing impaired herself.
“The defense of ‘cannabis-induced psychosis’ was based primarily on the testimony of both renowned psychiatrist Dr. William Wirshing and prosecution expert Dr. Kris Mohandie,” Goldstein said.
EX-COP TURNED LEGAL POT FARMER CLAIMS HE’S BIGGER DEALER THAN ‘ANYONE SITTING IN PRISON’
Sean O’Melia, right, chats with other protesters in a demonstration held the day before Tuesday’s sentencing of Bryn Spejcher, convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the killing of Chad O’Melia, Sean’s son. (TOM KISKEN/THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Wirshing and Mohandie were among four experts whose work was cited in the trial. They both found that the explosive violence was “unpredictable” and “unforeseeable,” Goldstein said.
The specific strain contained a 31.8% THC level and a warning label that said, “Caution, for High Tolerance Users Only,” he added. According to the Yale School of Medicine, the average THC content in cannabis seized by the DEA was 4% in 1995 and had risen to 17% in 2017.
Marijuana is legal in California for prescribed medicinal users over 18 and recreational users above 21.
FEDERAL JUDGE GREEN LIGHTS NEW YORK MARIJUANA LICENSING DESPITE ‘DISASTER’ LEGAL CANNABIS MARKET ROLLOUT
Chief Deputy District Attorney Audry Nafziger addresses the jury during the manslaughter trial of Bryn Spejcher on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. Spejcher, who was found guilty, was sentenced to probation and community service. (JUAN CARLO/THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK)
A search of SweetFlower.com, the website for a Los Angeles-based dispensary, found marijuana “flower” for sale legally with THC levels as high as 39%. Similar levels were available Friday from a local competitor, The Artist Tree.
Processed and concentrated products can contain up to 90% THC, Goldstein added.
“Nobody seems to want to address this issue,” he said.
O’Melia’s father, who organized a protest outside the courthouse for Spejcher’s no-prison sentencing hearing, told Fox News in January that the system has “completely failed” his son and the family when Spejcher received a punishment of just two years of probation, 100 hours of community service and no prison time.
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Montana
Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for April 29, 2026
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 29, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 29 drawing
03-19-35-51-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from April 29 drawing
06-19-24-30-48, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from April 29 drawing
16-18-27-28, Bonus: 05
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 29 drawing
07-52-56-67-69, Powerball: 03
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from April 29 drawing
11-14-24-29-45
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 29 drawing
05-10-17-21-42, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Nevada
Southern Nevada shelters brace for annual kitten season surge of newborn cats
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — As temperatures rise in Southern Nevada, animal shelters are bracing for the annual surge of newborn cats known as “kitten season.”
Kitten season happens every year between about March and October, when warmer weather leads community cats to breed, and shelters begin seeing little kittens trickle in.
Animal care officials urged residents who spot kittens in their neighborhoods to avoid intervening right away.
The best thing to do, they said, is to leave the kittens where they are because their mother is likely caring for them.
Even if the mother cat is not immediately visible, she may be nearby searching for food.
The mother cat is taking care of the kittens, and removing them can reduce their chances of survival.
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Their best chance, officials said, is for the kittens to stay with their mom, who can provide nourishment.
New Mexico
2nd inmate dies at MDC within a week
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A 36-year-old inmate died at the Metropolitan Detention Center after a medical emergency in custody.
The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center said Julian Wilgress was in custody when staff called a medical emergency code at about 1 p.m. on April 28.
MDC said Wilgress was booked into the jail on April 27.
MDC personnel said a medical team from the University of New Mexico Hospital responded, but Wilgress died.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office came to the facility to investigate. MDC’s Office of Professional Standards is also investigating under standard protocol.
The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator will determine the official cause and manner of death.
This marks the second inmate death at MDC after Derrick Benavides died on Monday morning.
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