A 19-year-old accused of murder in the stabbing death of his roommate at a Columbus apartment complex plans to plead insanity.
Daniel Joel Denny, 19, 1075 Robert Drive – B, is charged with murder for the June 1st death of one of his roommates, Eric Cavanaugh. Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting determined the victim, also 19, died of multiple sharp force injuries to his back and chest that were believed to have been inflicted by a chef’s knife.
On Monday, Denny’s court-appointed lawyer, Chris Monroe, gave formal notice to both Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin and county Prosecutor Bill Nash that he “intends to interpose insanity defense” on behalf of his client.
While in the ambulance, Cavanaugh identified Denny as his assailant, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by Columbus Police Department detectives.
The victim told officers there was no fight, but while he and Denny were talking, the defendant began explaining “why he was going to hurt me” before the stabbing took place, according to court documents. Cavanaugh was later pronounced dead at Columbus Regional Hospital.
A third roommate said he entered the room just in time to see the victim being stabbed by Denny a second time, while a fourth roommate said the crimes had already been committed by the time he saw Cavanaugh on the floor, the court document states. Both roommates say Denny approached them after they saw him next to the victim. However, the third roommate said Denny did not attempt to hurt him while the fourth told investigators he locked himself in his bedroom until police arrived, the affidavit states.
When the first officer arrived at the Quayle Run apartment, he asked “who had done this?” Denny, who already had his hands on his head, told the officer that he did it, according to the affidavit.
Invoking an insanity defense means the defense has the responsibility to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant suffers from a mental disease or defect that rendered the person unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of their conduct at the time of the offense, according to Indiana law.
Denny’s mental problems began in school during kindergarten and elementary grades when he was diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, according to his mother, Tiffani Denny. School officials also noted he had issues with anger and appropriate responses during class time, and had been hospitalized for mental health issues eight different times since 2019 in facilities in Columbus and Bloomington, his mother said.
By law, Judge Benjamin must appoint two or three psychiatrists, psychologists or physicians who have expertise in determining insanity, who will be expected to testify in court.
Denny is scheduled to appear before the judge for a change of plea hearing at 9 a.m. Oct. 11, according to court documents. His trial in Bartholomew Circuit Court is tentatively scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 9.
