Man pursues insanity verdict in Mashantucket stabbing
May 17—A former Baltimore, Maryland man, charged with stabbing a Mashantucket man in the face and neck in 2018, is seeking to convince a judge that he needs mental health treatment, not prison, for his alleged crime.
A trial started on Friday in New London Superior Court for 47-year-old Dontae Glen Johnson. Michael Miller, Johnson's attorney, will seek a verdict of not guilty "by reason of mental disease or defect," and is expected to present evidence that Johnson suffers from multiple mental health disorders.
Johnson is charged with first-degree assault and third-degree larceny. He is free without bond but subject to pre-trial supervision.
If the defense is successful, Johnson could be civilly committed to Whiting Forensic Hospital under the supervision of the state's Psychiatric Security Review Board. Superior Court Judge Shari Murphy, who is presiding over the case and will make the final decision, said other outcomes could include guilty or not guilty verdicts.
Assistant State's Attorney Stephen Carney on Monday began calling on the stabbing victim, Mashantucket resident William Johnson III, to detail the events of Oct. 16, 2018. He is not related to Dontae Glen Johnson, but the two were apparently friends.
William Johnson III testified that on Oct. 16, 2018, he and Dontae Glen Johnson, who he calls Drift, were hanging out and smoking marijuana at his father's home at 503 Pequot Trail in Mashantucket when the two got into an argument that turned physical.
During the struggle, William Johnson was stabbed in the neck and face. Under questioning, William Johnson, who his mother says is bipolar, did not recall all of the details.
"I just remember handing him the knife and he stabbed me," William Johnson said. "I kind of got irate and attacked him."
William Johnson also explained that Dontae Glen Johnson pulled out a gun and fired a shot before leaving in William Johnson's car. William Johnson said he gave his alleged attacker $4 for gas. There was no gun mentioned in the initial police report.
Asked about the salt and coffee grounds discovered scattered around the floor of the kitchen, William Johnson said Dontae Glen Johnson sprinkled salt on his wound at his request. It is unclear if he thought it was a way to treat the wound.
William Johnson's mother, Tony Parker Johnson, testified that she discovered her son in his bedroom on the day after the stabbing with dried blood all over his face, body and room. He was treated at the hospital that day.
The trial is expected to resume on Tuesday. Dontae Glen Johnson was previously committed to Whiting after his arrest, when he was found not competent to stand trial. He was diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type and cannabis use disorder and prescribed antipsychotic and mood stabilizing medications.
