Man Who Thought He Killed Werewolf In Alexandria Found Not Guilty

ALEXANDRIA, VA—A man was found not guilty by reason of insanity for a July 2018 killing inside an Old Town Alexandria business. Instead of being sentenced, Pankaj Bhasin, 35, of New Jersey, will be sent to a secure facility of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

The decision comes after a mistrial was declared when a jury couldn't come to a verdict in March. Bhasin had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and several experts said he met the legal standard of criminal insanity when the killing happened. His defense argues there was no motive and claimed Bhasin thought he was killing a werewolf, NBC4 previously reported. Several experts diagnosed him as suffering from bipolar disorder with "mood-congruent psychotic features." During the trial, the defense said Bhasin had left a psychiatric hospital before he left for Alexandria.

After the mistrial, prosecutors had post-trial conversations with members of the jury and learned most voted to find Bhasin not guilty by reason of insanity. The Commonwealth's Attorney ordered an evaluation from a psychologist, who concluded Bhasin had been criminally insane when he carried out the killing. The findings were largely similar to those of the mental health experts who testified for the defense. The Commonwealth's Attorney decided not to pursue a retrial and agreed to finding Bhasin not guilty by reason of insanity.

The killing happened on July 13, 2018. Police say Bhasin left a building in the 1200 block of King Street with the business Window Universe. He had his pants down and was covered in blood when he tried to enter a stranger's car. The car driver called for help, and police arrived to arrest Bhasin.

Police found the body of Bradford Thomas Jackson, 65, of Alexandria inside Window Universe. Jackson had suffered numerous stab wounds. An investigation determined Bhasin and Jackson did not know each other.