UPDATE: Mark McKinney with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office confirmed on April 20, 2021, that at a ‘not guilty by reason of insanity’ review, a judge granted Pennyfeather a conditional release. He will be monitored going forward, by the Community Services Board.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A Newport News man accused of stabbing two neighbors and trying to set his apartment complex on fire, will stay in a mental health facility — for now.
On Wednesday, Gamal Pennyfeather asked a judge to release him from Eastern State Hospital.
Pennyfeather has been hospitalized since pleading not guilty by reason of insanity to the incident on Judy Drive back in December 2017.
Prosecutors say he suffered from schizophrenia.
Recently, doctors decided Pennyfeather is no longer a risk and can be released back into the community.
One of the victims urged the judge to not let him out.
“It was a big relief that weight is off,” she said, adding it would have been “devastating because if he was to come out it would still feel as my life was gasping for air.”
Doctors say Pennyfeather worked extremely hard to treat his illness.
The judge said he did not release Pennyfeather due to the pandemic.
Pennyfeather will have another hearing in April.
Stay with WAVY.com for updates.