Crest

A jury deliberated only a few hours Tuesday before finding that a Crest man who killed his elderly mother is insane. The man had said that a vision of TV evangelist Jerry Falwell ordered him to commit the crime.

Ashley Demers, 26, showed no reaction to the verdict, which means he probably will be committed to a state mental hospital for the criminally insane, possibly for life. He will be sentenced June 30.

In a separate proceeding with the same jury last week, Demers was found guilty of first-degree murder of Anna Demers, 67, who was struck in the head with a 7-pound rock Nov. 10.

Demers’ lawyer, former Municipal Judge Bill Boyland, presented three psychiatrists who had examined Demers, and all said he was insane. One psychiatrist had been hired by the district attorney’s office, but he agreed with the defense that Demers was insane and testified for the defense.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Gregg McClain presented no witnesses to contradict the psychiatrists during the sanity phase.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Norbert Ehrenfreund told the jury:

“I agree with you on your verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. I think your verdict is a proper one, given the evidence.”

Demers told sheriff’s deputies Jan. 2 that he killed his mother after demons had invaded her body, rearranged her skin, muscles and face and disguised her voice. He said a shadow resembling Falwell, whom his fundamentalist mother watched regularly, repeatedly told him to kill her.