JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville mother who was accused of stabbing her 6-year-old daughter to death last year was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
In August of 2020, 6-year-old Atara Yisrael was stabbed to death by Purkanah Mayo inside an Arlington home, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Mayo, 37, then stabbed herself, according to a JSO report.
According to a report from the Florida Department of Children and Families, Mayo’s parental rights had been terminated because of mental health issues before the incident.
A mental competency evaluation was done in August, and on Sept. 22, a judge found Mayo not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.
“The statute says that the defendant knew what she was doing, but she did not know what she was doing was wrong,” explained attorney Randy Reep, not affiliated with the case. “And that’s a tough hill to climb, and most defendants don’t get there.
Mayo was placed in a mental health treatment facility and has a mental health review scheduled for March 2022.