Man Found Not Guilty of Anti-Gay Attack by Reason of Insanity
Tuesday, 29 November 2022
A Decatur man charged with a violent anti-gay attack has been found not guilty by reason of insanity, court records show.
Ethan Dickerson, now 20, had been charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, home invasion and a hate crime in March, after authorities said he attacked another person with a pipe wrench, sending the person to the hospital.
In a bench trial last week, a judge found that Dickerson committed the attack but found “clear and convincing evidence that the Defendant lacked the substantial capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct,” according to court records.
The judge ordered Dickerson undergo in-patient mental health evaluation through the Illinois Department of Human Services.
