"Because of Sleepwalking..." The Truth Behind the US 'Teen Twin Siblings Murder Case'?

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[Asia Economy Reporter Sumi Hwang] A teenage boy in the United States killed his twin sister and claimed that it was due to sleepwalking.

According to foreign media including ABC13 on the 1st (local time), Benjamin Elliott (17), who lives in Texas, stabbed his twin sister Megan Elliott with a weapon on the 29th of last month while she was asleep.

Benjamin called 911 himself and surrendered, and when the police and paramedics arrived at the scene, Benjamin was performing CPR on Megan.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez stated that multiple stab wounds were found on Megan's neck.

Benjamin was charged with this incident and is being held at Harris County Jail in Texas.

Regarding this incident, Benjamin claimed that sleepwalking was the cause and that he did not intentionally harm Megan.

He testified that he only realized what he had done after waking from the dream, and after cleaning the bloodied weapon, he applied pressure to Megan's wounds to stop the bleeding.

Benjamin, who is currently claiming sleepwalking as a defense for the murder, is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation.

However, the prosecution expressed skepticism about his claim, noting that Benjamin has no history of sleep disorders.

Experts say that while there have been cases where defendants in murder cases have used sleepwalking as a defense, proving innocence is expected to be difficult.

Kenneth Williams, a professor at South Texas College of Law, said, "A person who acts in an unconscious state is not legally responsible," but added, "It will be very difficult for the jury to believe Benjamin's claim."

He also added, "Benjamin will need to convince the jury that he was unconscious when he committed the crime."