A St. Paul man who fatally shot his girlfriend last fall in the apartment they shared has been found not guilty because he was mentally ill at the time.
Andre A. Duprey, 30, was acquitted Friday of second-degree murder by Ramsey County District Judge Joy D. Bartscher.
Duprey, jailed since his arrest soon after he shot 28-year-old Phanny Phay, awaits transfer to the state psychiatric hospital in St. Peter for treatment pending completion of civil commitment proceedings.
Bartscher wrote in her verdict that Duprey suffered from bipolar disorder "with psychotic symptoms" at the time of the killing and believed Phay was possessed by demons.
She added that because Duprey "was unable to know the nature of the act … or that it was wrong, [he] is not guilty … by reason of mental illness."
Her ruling included a psychiatric evaluation during which Duprey recounted calling police several days before shooting and stabbing Phay because he believed people were trying to rob and kill him.
On the day of Phay's death, Duprey recalled during the evaluation, he believed his girlfriend "was a demon or under the control of a demon," the judge's ruling noted.
Police were called to the apartment in the 900 block of St. Paul Avenue about 2 a.m. on Nov. 10 and spotted a handgun in the living room and Duprey in the bathroom entry holding a knife.
