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The Spokesman-Review
March 7, 2000
The murder trial of a woman accused of stabbing her 8-year-old daughter to death last September has been postponed.
Sharon L. Curry, 41, is undergoing a psychological evaluation to determine if she is competent to stand trial for the death of Jessica Curry in Medical Lake.
Curry pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in December. She was arrested after sheriff’s deputies found the girl dead from stab wounds in the driveway of her home.
Sharon Curry’s medical problems have forced prosecutors to cancel her arraignment four times since her arrest. She required surgery for self-inflicted puncture wounds to her lungs, said Chief Deputy Prosecutor Jack Driscoll.
Prosecutors believe Curry inflicted the wounds in a suicide attempt, according to court papers.
A scheduling conflict with doctors at Eastern State Hospital delayed Curry’s evaluation, thus delaying the trial.
Original article no longer available
Spokane, Washington – In a message dated 5/18/00 8:58:31 AM Mountain Standard Time, DWesterman@spokanecounty.org writes:
Sharon Curry was taking Paxil for depression and Adderall for attention deficit disorder. She became increasing paranoid and to remain vigilant
she took more and more Adderall to stay awake. The Sanity Commission found that the murder was the result of a drug induced psychosis and the court found the drugs were involuntary since they were prescribed. The Court accepted her plea of not guilty by reason of insanity on May 5, 2000.
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‘She’s No Angel, She’s A Witch’
KOMONEWS.com
Published: Aug 17, 2004 at 2:34
Curry covered her face as she arrived at Kent Municipal Court with two escorts from the state mental hospital near Spokane. It’s where she was sent after being found not guilty by reason of insanity for placing her 8-year-old daughter Jessica on her lap in the family car and then stabbing her to death five years ago. Curry then stabbed herself.
Her family believes she was drugged out on methamphetamines. “And she calls herself ‘Momma Angel.’ She sends flowers to the gravesite and signs ‘Momma Angel,’ ” said Curry’s aunt Marjorie Schorer. “She’s no angel, she’s a witch.”
But Curry claims her murderous behavior was due to an over-prescription of the drug Adderall to treat her Attention Deficit Disorder. She was sent to Eastern State Hospital and then was released to a halfway house 3 years later.
But she ran afoul of her terms of release. At issue now is a no-contact order. Curry is not to contact her two other children for 99 years. The allegation is that she called her daughter Jamie in Kent. Curry stands the possibility of going to jail for violating that order.
Her family hopes that happens because they fear she could kill again.
“Now she’s trying to get to her other daughter,” said Schorer. “She has three other grandchildren and I don’t want to see it happen again.”
But instead, Judge Robert McSeveney issued a stipulated order of continuance. It is basically a reprieve for one year saying if she contacted her children or committed any type of crime during that time she could go to jail.
Curry’s cousin Gary White is angered by the ruling and says, “It was very tough (to see Curry in court). I buried her daughter.” But they vow to stay on the case.
Curry returns to the state hospital where it’ll be determined whether she’s released to the halfway house again. The family is left to prepare for the upcoming 5th anniversary of the little Jessica’s death.
The clinic and doctor who treated curry reached an out of court settlement. The family fears Curry could get much of that money. Her surviving daughter Jamie says, “You shouldn’t be able to kill your daughter and get rich from it.”