Woman seeks not guilty by reason of insanity plea

South Euclid woman is accused of intentionally causing crash that killed her daughter

A South Euclid woman accused of intentionally causing a crash that killed her daughter is seeking to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Kia Ferguson was indicted by the Lake County grand jury in September on two charges of aggravated murder, one count of murder, two counts of first-degree felony attempted aggravated murder, seconddegree felony felonious assault, two counts of second-degree felony endangering children, and two counts of third-degree felony endangering children.

Authorities allege that Ferguson intentionally caused a January 2019 crash that killed her 10-year-old daughter and sent her and her 6-year-old son to the hospital.

Mentor police stated that the 2008 Chevrolet driven by Ferguson was struck by a UPS semi-truck and pushed down an embankment. Ji

Ferguson, the daughter, was the right rear passenger in the Chevrolet. The truck driver was uninjured in the crash.

“Mentor Police conducted a thorough investigation over the following 9 months where it became clear that Ms. Ferguson intentionally pulled in front of the semi-truck,” Mentor

police wrote in a statement released in October. “The case was subsequently turned over to the Lake County Prosecutor and the Lake County Grand Jury for consideration of formal charges.”

Ferguson’s attorneys, Fernando Mack and Carlos Johnson, in January filed a motion seeking a not guilty by reason of insanity plea on behalf of their client.

“Defendant initially entered a plea of not guilty at her arraignment,” Ferguson’s defense attorneys wrote. “However, after obtaining an expert opinion, counsel now believe that a NGRI plea is available and appropriate in this case.”

Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Pat Condon is overseeing the case. Condon, in a Jan. 27 motion, ordered the court’s psychologist to examine Ferguson and prepare a report concerning her mental condition at the time of the crash.

A hearing regarding the evaluation is set for March 27.

If Condon ultimately allows an NGRI plea to move forward to trial, the defense must prove to a jury that “at the time of the commission of the offense, the person did not know, as a result of a severe mental disease or defect, the wrongfulness of the person’s acts,” according to Ohio law.

A tentative change of plea date was set for Feb. 6 and a jury trial was scheduled for Feb. 24. Both dates have been continued according to court records.

Ferguson is currently out of jail on bond.

Ferguson