Man who stabbed neighbor to death found not guilty due to insanity

An Atlantic County man who stabbed his elderly neighbor to death and wounded her daughter and a Good Samaritan who intervened was found not guilty on Wednesday by reason of insanity.

Anthony Milano, 66, who lived in an age-restricted community in Linwood, conceded that he killed 89-year-old Catherine McGowan on Oct., 8, 2009, before turning the knife on her daughter, Diane Nehmad, 61, and Eugene Pepper, 85.

Superior Court Judge Max Baker committed Milano to a psychiatric facility following his ruling in the nonjury trial.

"This guy absolutely was insane," said Milano's Camden County lawyer, Jeffrey Zucker. "He believed at the time he killed Mrs. McGowan that she was a man dressed in women's clothing."

Milano, who was charged with one count of murder and two of attempted murder and aggravated assault, showed little reaction to the verdict in Mays Landing. Earlier in the day, Nehmad wept as she sat in the gallery, and the first officer to arrive at the scene cried during his testimony.

In deciding Milano's fate, the judge relied on the opinions of four forensic psychiatrists, two on behalf of the state and two on behalf of the defense. All concluded Milano was insane at the time of the stabbing.

Milano, who has been diagnosed a paranoid schizophrenic, lived alone in a second-floor condominium at the Village at Linwood, about five miles west of Atlantic City. He believed that neighbors including McGowan, who lived directly below him, were trying to kill him with gamma rays.

"He was delusional," Zucker said. "When police went into his bedroom, they found tin foil wrapped all around his bed to detect the gamma rays. He kept the water running from all faucets to help cool the rooms."

Milano threatened his neighbors, and repeatedly beat the walls and stomped on the floor at all hours. McGowan was so fearful that she had left her home and was staying with her daughter.

Milano's behavior had been the subject of neighbors' complaints to management for years. Milano's sister and acquaintances tried to get him psychiatric care, which he resisted.

On the day of the stabbings, McGowan and others planned to attend a municipal hearing, where Milano was ordered to appear after he was charged with disturbing the peace.

Nehman brought her mother to her condo to retrieve clothes the older woman wanted to wear at the proceeding that night. They were confronted by Milano in the parking lot about 11 a.m.

Milano stabbed McGowan 27 times in the head, neck and back with a large folding knife, and slashed Nehman and Pepper as they tried to stop him, authorities said at the time.

On Wednesday, Linwood Sgt. Robert Woltmann tearfully testified that he arrived to see Milano stabbing Pepper. An injured Nehmad was nearby and McGowan lay dead.

Following his arrest, Zucker said, the never-married Milano - who is said to have a near-genius IQ - believed that someone else had carried out the attacks. As treatment for his mental illness progressed, he accepted that he was responsible and "he feels horrible," Zucker said.

At Wednesday's hearing, the judge immediately sentenced Milano to a psychiatric facility, where he will undergo evaluations every six months to determine whether he can be released.

Milano, who has no other criminal history, is a calm person while on medication, but could not be forced to take the drugs if released, Zucker said.

Nehmad's husband, Stephen, told the judge that "monstrous" people must be kept out of society and vowed to attend every hearing to assure that Milano never is allowed to live outside a psychiatric facility.

"The nature of [Milano's] mental illness is such that I am confident he will not be released for many years, if at all," Atlantic County Prosecutor Theodore Housel said.

Two months prior to the attack on McGowan, New Jersey legislators passed a law that would enable family members to seek involuntary outpatient treatment for a mentally ill relative.