You made the decision to take the drugs. At that time you were sane.
EPISODE 6 “FAMILY AFFAIR” DEANDRE BUCHANAN
Deandre Buchanan
On November 7th 2000, Deandre Buchanan was arrested near the scene of a triple homicide. Angela Brown, the mother of Buchanan’s two infant daughters, his stepfather and his aunt, had all been shot dead by Buchanan. In a recorded police interview, Buchanan claimed he had smoked a joint which had been laced with an unknown drug and that he had subsequently become convinced that everybody at the party were attempting to kill him. He described shooting both his step-father and aunt inside the house before chasing Angela Brown outside and shooting her dead as she held their children in her
arms. Since that interview, Buchanan has consistently maintained that he has no recollection of what had taken place at the time of the shootings. In April 2002, Buchanan went on trial for the murders of Juanita Hoffman, William Jefferson and Angela Brown where he claimed that he had suffered a drug induced psychotic episode. Prosecutor Kevin Crane dismissed this claim of diminished responsibility on the grounds that any drugs Buchanan had taken had been consumed voluntarily. Crane also argued that Buchanan had deliberated over the killings when he reloaded the gun on more than one occasion and as such the killings constituted first degree murder. Buchanan is currently serving a life sentence, although he is actively trying to appeal his case with the hope of being given a reduced sentence. He maintains he was intoxicated at the time of the murder and not in his right mind.
