US Man Who Claims He Was Sleepwalking When He Killed Twin Sister Gets 15-Year Sentence

A Houston man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for stabbing his twin sister to death on September 29, 2021, at the age of 17, Fox 26 Houston reported.  

During the incident, Benjamin Elliott, now 21, told a 911 operator that he believed he was “dreaming” when the attack occurred. According to Fox26 Houston, he said he woke up in his sister Meghan’s room and found her with a knife in her neck.

Court documents revealed that after his arrest, Elliott stated he removed the knife and applied pressure as soon as he realized he was not dreaming. He then called 911, and the operator instructed him to begin CPR.

When local deputies arrived, Elliott was performing CPR on his sister, but EMS pronounced Meghan dead at the scene. She had suffered multiple stab wounds, Fox26 Houston reported.

According to KHOU 11, Elliott told an officer at the scene that he didn’t “deserve respect” because he had “killed [his] sister.” In a video played for jurors, Elliott described his actions immediately after the stabbing: “I freaked out and, like, put the knife down and put a pillow on her to try and stop the bleeding. Then called, you know, 911 from my phone.”

Both the prosecution and defence presented expert testimony on parasomnias-sleep disorders that can cause sleepwalking and other disruptive behaviours.

Dr Jerald Simmons, a neurologist who testified for the defence, later told ABC13 that he believed the jury had reached the wrong verdict. “If it wasn’t possible, I wouldn’t have taken this position. There are other cases. They are rare, but they can occur.”