‘Criminal responsibility’ determination could happen this month in Gaithersburg drowning case – BethesdaMagazine.com

Mother accused of trying to kill her daughter, herself in lake

| Published: 2020-03-05 15:40

Karen Isaac, 63, of Gaithersburg is accused of trying to drown her daughter in the lake at Rio last summer. She has entered a plea of not criminally responsible, and has a hearing later this month.

Photo from Gaithersburg police

A criminal responsibility determination could happen this month in the case of a woman accused of trying to drown her daughter in the lake at Gaithersburgs Rio development last summer.

Karen Louisa Isaac, 63, was arrested on July 31 after Gaithersburg police said she pushed her 25-year-old daughter, Seychelle, into the lake and jumped in behind her. Karen Isaac tried to kill both her daughter and herself, police said.

An officer in the area saw the two women in the water and jumped in to keep them afloat until backup arrived.

Isaac was charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and reckless endangerment.

Charging documents state that Isaac was having financial problems at the time of the attack and didnt want someone else burdened with caring for her daughter, who has cerebral palsy and a mental disability. Isaac also told police she had been hearing voices in her head for some time, according to charging documents.

Isaac entered a not criminally responsible plea in September, state court records show.

Her defense team met with her on Aug. 9, according to court documents, and she appeared extremely paranoid and unable to fully understand the possible penalties in the case. Documents state that correctional officers in the county jail told Isaacs attorneys that she would try to talk to people in her cell when no one else was there.

Isaacs attorney, Ahmet Hisim, told Bethesda Beat Thursday afternoon that his client is at the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center in Jessup, a maximum-security state psychiatric hospital. Hisim said Isaac was evaluated by the hospital last month.

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Robert Greenberg has been reviewing the report and has sealed it, Hisim said.

Hisim declined to share details of the report, but said the judge could make a ruling on Isaacs criminal responsibility plea at a status hearing on March 16.

Im hoping that the next step is that the court will determine that she is not criminally responsible, he said.

Hisim said that if Isaac is ruled not criminally responsible, she would be committed to the states Department of Health. If she is found criminally responsible, he said, she would have further court hearings.

If it isnt determined whether Isaac is criminally responsible at this months status hearing, the issue would go to trial, Hisim said. It would be up to Isaac whether to have a judge or jury decide the matter, he said.

Hisim said he hopes the case does not go to trial.

Im hoping that well be able to get this completed at the next hearing, he said.

Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@bethesdamagazine.com

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'Criminal responsibility' determination could happen this month in Gaithersburg drowning case - BethesdaMagazine.com