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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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Each week at Last Rites, a Duboce Triangle establishment known for its immersive atmosphere, fans gather for a watch party of the long-running reality television series “Survivor.”
San Francisco resident Kiram Maledi has been a regular since discovering the event with friends.
“We live really close by,” Maledi said. “And my good friend Emily, who turned us on to ‘Survivor,’ found out that Last Rites hosts ‘Survivor’ night. We got super into watching ‘Survivor’ in the past couple years, and the thought of an outing in our neighborhood where we get to participate in community while also indulging in this awesome season is pretty fun.”
“Survivor,” one of the longest-running reality shows in television history, is now in its 50th season on CBS.
For Maledi, appreciation for the series came later in life.
“I’m a fan of the show because I never thought I’d be into reality TV, and I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said. “It’s a good practice of self to challenge myself for what I think I like. The challenges are super fun to watch. It’s cool to watch and be like, ‘How bad would I be at that?’ And for me to watch the social game and be like, ‘Oh, I would be crushed by that, I would really struggle.’ So to kind of role play like, how would these people do it, how would I do it, and oftentimes just get surprised and into it.”
The bar’s carefully crafted environment adds to the experience. With jungle-inspired decor, layered sound design and even scent elements, the space is designed to evoke a tropical destination, echoing the setting of the show itself.
Screens positioned throughout the bar ensure the episode is visible from nearly every angle.
“This is such a well-crafted space,” Maledi said. “The decorations, sound design — it even smells like what I think a tropical destination bar would smell like. I guess it is that. Drinks are super fantastic. I didn’t even know there was a second side of the menu.”
At Last Rites, the weekly gathering goes beyond simply watching a television show. For fans, it’s an immersive experience, one that brings them closer to the world of “Survivor,” and to each other.
The Waterford RiNo building at 2797 Wewatta Way was given to a lender in 2025. (BusinessDen file)
Denver’s apartment market is facing headwinds.
BusinessDen scoured county foreclosure records, third-party reports and court filings to determine the area’s apartment buildings that have exhibited signs of financial distress in recent months.
The list below is not necessarily comprehensive, but will be updated when we have more information, or when a particular property’s situation changes.
Foreclosed
2617-2667 W. Evans Ave., Denver
Loan: $14 million
Former owner: JTA1 Real Properties LLC AND JTA4 Real Properties LLC
Unit count: 125
456 S. Ironton St., Aurora
Loan: $25.54
Former owner: HL Lofts LLC/Summit Communities
Unit count: 112
Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure
2797 Wewatta Way, Denver
Loan: $91 million
Former owner: SRGMF III Wewatta Way Denver LLC/Sares Regis Group
Unit count: 301
Foreclosure initiated
1259 Newton St., Denver
Loan: $12.65 million
Owner: AVP Newton Venture LLC/Armada Venture Partners
4510 W. Saint Clair Place, Adams County
Loan: $6.35 million
Owner: 4510 Saint Clair Apartments LLC
2038 South Vaughn Way, Aurora
Loan: $57.15 million
Owner: Arboreta Apts LLC/Summit Communities
Unit count: 268
1433, 1451 and 1463 Macon St., Aurora
Loan: $2.98 million
Owner: West Macon Street LLC
In receivership, not in foreclosure
10101 Washington St., Thornton
Loan: $17.5 million
Owner: Meadows at Town Center LLC/Summit Communities
Units: 104
7500 Dakin St., Adams County
Loan: $49.5 million
Owner: Boulder CR Apts LLC/Summit Communities
Units: 322
Bankrupt
1592 Boston St., Aurora
Loan: $3 million
Owner: 1592 Boston Street LLC/Shaul Gabbay
Unit count: 32
1960 Dallas St., Aurora
Loan: $4.8 million
Owner: 1960 Dallas Street LLC/Shaul Gabbay
Unit count: 32
The Seattle Mariners have two notable players on the injured list that are nearing their returns.
Mariners’ Matt Brash details side issue, doesn’t think it’s serious
Here’s a quick look at what we know about the statuses of third baseman Brendan Donovan and Bryce Miller.
Brendan Donovan
Donovan has been out of action with a left groin strain since April 18, but could be just days away from getting back in the Mariners’ lineup. The 29-year-old All-Star has reached the minimum amount for a stay on the 10-day injured list.
“The progression has gone as hoped, and he’s taken swings. I think he looks like he’s on pace to be back during the homestand at some point,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Tuesday.
Donovan was the Mariners’ key offseason acquisition, landing in Seattle from the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-team trade that also involved the Tampa Bay Rays.
Donovan underwent sports hernia surgery in October and had a few periods where he missed games in April due to injury or illness.
When Donovan has been on the field, he’s been Seattle’s primary leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching and among the team’s best offensive producers. He has a .304/.437/.518 slash line for a .954 OPS with three home runs in 18 games this year.
Bryce Miller
Still working his way back after oblique inflammation derailed his spring training, Miller is expected to make the third start of his minor league rehab assignment Friday in the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers’ home game against the Las Vegas Aviators at Cheney Stadium.
The Mariners will have a tough decision to make with their starting rotation when Miller returns, as Emerson Hancock (2.86 ERA, 0.981 WHIP) has been great thus far filling in for Miller. Seattle has some time before a decision needs to be made, though.
For one, Miller isn’t fully stretched out, throwing only 47 pitches and three innings in his second rehab start last Friday with the High-A Everett AquaSox. And second, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said that the M’s were likely to use the full 30 days allowed on Miller’s rehab stint, which would put him on pace to join the team in mid-May.
Seattle Mariners news and analysis
• Cole Young continues breakout as Mariners win another series
• White Sox call up Jarred Kelenic before playing Mariners next week
• Julio: When it’s clicking, Mariners ‘one of the best teams in baseball’
• Luis Castillo is in a tough spot in Mariners’ rotation
• Seattle Mariners seeing early payoff from Jose Ferrer trade
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