UPDATE: The Sheboygan mother accused of killing her 2-year-old son has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental defect.
Now, a psychiatric evaluation must be performed on Katlyn Kinateder, which prosecutors say could take months.
Prosecutors say, in extreme cases, a "not guilty" by reason of insanity plea isn't new.
"Yeah, we've had several of these," says Sheboygan Co. District Attorney Joe DeCecco. "They're not very prevalent, but we've had them."
In Kinateder's case, officers testify she told them voices in her head told her that her son couldn't live anymore. It's a story the defense plans on proving through a psychiatric evaluation performed by an outside expert.
"And, under the law, they can choose their person, and we can choose our person," adds DeCecco after the hearing.
DeCecco says the defense's challenge will be proving Kinateder was suffering from mental illness at the time, "and, in addition, that mental disease or defect had to prohibit them from… knowing right from wrong."
It's an issue that will likely be left in the hands of the jury.
"More often than not, you get the first expert saying 'yes, she is,' our expert says 'no, she's not,'" explains DeCecco, "and then the jury decides."
The judge is asking for a completed psychiatric evaluation by October 4th, which DeCecco calls "optimistic."
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Update...
New information was provided tonight from police on the death of a toddler in Sheboygan Falls. Investigators releasing the chilling 9-1-1 call received by dispatchers from a woman claiming to be the toddlers mother. The women would go on to tell dispatch that she just killed her son.
On Thursday afternoon the disturbing call came into the Sheboygan Falls dispatch center.
"Okay what’s the problem?" "I killed my son." "You what?" "I killed my son." ”How did you kill your son?" "I strangled him."
Just minutes later the woman told dispatch that her two-year-old son had been dead for nearly a half an hour.
"Anything going on with you," asked dispatch. “I feel like I lost my mind," said the caller.
By the time police arrived the woman had a butcher knife in her hand. She wouldn't drop it until police tased her twice.
"That officer subsequently deployed a taser causing the female to drop to the ground," says Chief Steven Riffel of the Sheboygan Falls Police Department.
The woman was put in a squad as police located her toddler son in his bedroom. Police and first responders would discover that the boy wasn't breathing.
"Sadly the two-year-old son was pronounced dead at the hospital," adds Chief Riffel.
Today this neighborhood next to the crime scene is quite again, but no one can forget what happened here.
"It's crushing. I can't believe it. It's like what is this world coming to its horrible," says Lisa Ver Velde of Manitowoc. She has been visiting her aunt and uncle in the very neighborhood the crime happened for nearly 15 years. She feels for the family and additionally is concerned about all of the people involved in trying to save the boys life.
"My husband is in law enforcement and some of the stories that he has to tell... If effects you for long periods of time, very long," adds Ver Velde.
No charges have been filed yet but that's expected to happen on Monday according to the District Attorney’s office. Police are saying today that they are confident the mother is responsible for the toddler’s death.
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Original story...
The Sheboygan Falls Police Department continues to investigate the death of a 2-year-old child.
The toddler was taken to a hospital on Thursday, after police surrounded a townhouse on Woodview Avenue.
Police responded to a 911 call of a strangled child. When they showed up, they found a 27-year-old woman with a knife. Officers used a taser to subdue the woman, and take the knife. Officers were wearing body cameras at the time. The suspect, the child's mother has not yet been formally charged.
Officers found the child, who wasn’t breathing. The toddler was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police believe this was an intentional act.
At this time investigators are not saying how the child died, and are waiting for autopsy results.
NBC26 will continue to update this developing story as more information becomes available.
