A 36-year-old Wisconsin man will spend the rest of his life in a mental health facility in connection with the March stabbing deaths of his wife and sister-in-law.
Adam Roth, who was described by all those who knew him as a kind and compassionate man, pleaded guilty but not guilty by reason of mental illness to two counts of intentional homicide and two others of attempted intentional homicide.
On that fateful March 10 and as the pandemic raged on, Roth was eating with his wife Dominique when he grabbed a knife and started stabbing her.
Dominique’s mom, Gilane Popanda, and her two other daughters intervened to stop Roth but he “turned on everybody” killing Dominique’s younger sister Deidre.
The two other women sustained serious injuries. Roth reportedly told detectives that “coronavirus was coming and I had to save them.”
His attorney Cameron Weitzner said that the sentence was appropriate: “This case is about an individual who is suffering from mental illness and was suffering in a way that I don’t think any of us can understand,” he said.
Rohn Roth, the suspect’s father asked for forgiveness and compassion at his son’s sentencing.
“I wish all people could know, realize, and understand that mental illness is real, not an excuse or a story to tell.”
“It is as real as someone who has cancer or heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure, or even broken bones.”
One of the victims, Giliane Popanda, testified through a video call to say that she did not recognize the man who perpetrated the heinous crime.
“But I do know that he murdered two of the most wonderful people in the world, my daughters were wonderful. But at the same time, I didn’t want anything bad to happen to Adam. He was like my son.”
She continued: “What I saw that night was not the Adam I know or knew. What I saw was a monster.”
