David L. Trebilcock
/ police photo
SHERRILL -- The man accused of stabbing his girlfriend’s young daughter to death last week said that “Jesus made him do it”, according to his public attorney.
30-year-old David L. Trebilcock of Primo Avenue appeared in Sherrill City Court Friday morning in the case of in the death of six-year-old Lauren Belius. Trebilcock is accused of stabbing Belius to death in her bedroom on July 19, while her twin sister slept nearby and her mother was down the hall.
Outside of court, Oneida County Chief Public Defender Frank Nebush shed some light on his client’s possible mental state at the time of the murder. Nebush said “It was basically that Jesus made him do this, and that normally when I've handled cases where someone has paranoid schizophrenia, there's usually some religiosity involved with that."
Nebush added that Trebilcock isn't “mentally right”, and hasn't been for some time. He says his client has had on and off mental issues, but was not sure if he has ever received treatment.
During the hearing, Judge Neal Rose granted Nebush’s request for an exam to determine if Trebilcock will be competent enough to stand trial. Two doctors will examine him and issue a report to the court. The doctors will try to determine if Trebilcock understands the charge against him. Do you think people with mental illness should be forced to stand trial like any other defendant?
Trebilcock faces a charge of second degree murder for killing Belius by stabbing her repeatedly with a large kitchen knife. Her mother, Alison Belius, reportedly had to force her way through a barricaded bedroom door to try to save her daughters, and injured Trebilcock by stabbing him in the back. Trebilcock also injured himself by slitting his own wrists, and was hospitalized for several days before he was released to police custody for arraignment earlier this week.
The case was adjourned until August 21. Official say the exams can take a month to complete. If convicted, Trebilcock could get up to 25 years to life in prison.
About a half dozen protestors lined up outside the courthouse Friday morning and voiced their displeasure at Trebilcock as he exited the building. Signs and yells calling him a "child killer" could be seen and heard as he drove away in police custody.
Coincidentally, Nebush is also the public defender for 41-year-old Christian Patterson, who is accused of fatally shooting Oneida County Deputy Kurt Wyman in a standoff at Patterson's home on June 7. Patterson was also in court Friday for arraignment.
