Marlis Edward (Interview Clip)
Appearances
Lights Out
235: The Most Shocking Sleepwalking Murders
He was deeply sad, tearful, and he was very clear that he did not remember. He did not understand what had happened. He did not know if he was responsible for the death of his mother-in-law and the severe stabbing and wounding of his father-in-law.
Lights Out
235: The Most Shocking Sleepwalking Murders
So really all he could say in the most compelling of ways was, I'm confused, I'm frightened, I don't know why I'm here, I've damaged my hands, his hands were very badly injured by obviously handling a knife of some kind, and I don't know what happened.
Lights Out
235: The Most Shocking Sleepwalking Murders
I looked to some external circumstances that would give clues. And one of them is the absence of any motive. I mean, there was no insurance policy, there was no money, there's no anger, and you can't find a reason.
Lights Out
235: The Most Shocking Sleepwalking Murders
And we found, I think, a clue and a very important clue that started to move us in direction of exploring sleep disorders when we received from the Crown a copy of his statement to the police. In our law, we provide for, and it's rarely been successful, a defense of non-insane automatism. Sleepwalking is one variety of that.
Lights Out
235: The Most Shocking Sleepwalking Murders
We knew we had to put forward a thorough and exhaustive case, one that would convince a rational person so that, you know, they wouldn't walk away saying, this is ridiculous, this is incredible. It had to be, you know, enough evidence that 12 ordinary people in the community would look at it and say, this is the only explanation.