CONCORD — A local man who reportedly stabbed his girlfriend to death, then practically announced the crime to police, has been found not guilty by reason of insanity through a deal between prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Ida Harris, 32, was charged in 2022 with murdering 52-year-old Bernadette Reed in a homeless encampment where they both lived. Prosecutors now agree that Harris was mentally ill and didn’t appreciate the gravity of his conduct.
The deal means that Harris will be confined in a mental institution for 23 years, or until he is deemed cured of mental illness. A court hearing is required to establish any finding that Harris has been cured.
Authorities say that Harris stabbed Reed to death while the two were kissing at the encampment where they lived, based on a delusion. When police arrived he freely admitted to it. When they interviewed others at the encampment they learned Harris liked to refer to himself as “Moses” and the encampment as “The Promise Land,” which was taken as further evidence of his mental illness.
Harris has been in jail since his arrest in November 2022. About a month earlier, he was released from jail in an assault case involving a hammer beating, court records show.
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