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Fort Worth Judge Acquits Man in 2024 Firewood Killing by Reason of Insanity

The ruling sends the case from jail to a court‑supervised stay in the Texas state hospital system.

Overview

  • Judge Vincent Giardino found Chrisantus Omondi not guilty by reason of insanity on Tuesday after prosecutors and the defense agreed to that outcome.
  • A February 2026 report by clinical psychologist Antoinette McGarrahan concluded a severe mental illness kept Omondi from understanding his actions were wrong.
  • The court ordered Omondi moved from the county jail to a Texas state hospital for treatment, starting with a maximum‑security evaluation of about 30 days under judicial review before any release.
  • Police say that on Jan. 13, 2024, Omondi, who was naked, beat delivery driver Scotty Jackson, 51, to death with a piece of firewood after claiming the home was his.
  • Witnesses and video backed the account of the attack, and Jackson’s daughter later told the court through tears that she felt the outcome gave Omondi a second chance.