Mentally Ill Stillwater Man Acquitted In Killing Of Father

STILLWATER, MN — A Stillwater man who suffers from mental illness has been acquitted in the murder of his father. Washington County District Judge John Hoffman ruled last week that William James Scheel, 32, “is excused criminally from his conduct in this case” because of Scheel’s condition. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Scheel’s father, 59, also named William, died on July 8, 2016 after his son stabbed him from behind. His daughter witnessed the stabbing and tried to stop it.

According to the criminal complaint, the younger Scheel was stabbed by his sister as she tried to save her father’s life.

Scheel later told a doctor he was not taking his medication, the Star Tribune reported. He was living under civil commitment in a group home before the stabbing but had recently been allowed to administer his own medication despite his family knowing his history of not taking it, the criminal complaint states.

The elder Scheel was musician and had worked as a janitor for the Stillwater Public Library for 30 years, according to the Pioneer Press.

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