Judge finds man guilty but mentally ill in daughter’s murder
William Redman believed his 12-year-old daughter, Gloria, would be resurrected three days after he repeatedly plunged a knife into her neck in March 2008.
Redman said the act would save the world, and he told an emergency medical technician at the bloody scene that he had seen God.
Redman’s belief and act appeared to reflect a mixture of biblical stories, all with happier endings.
On Tuesday, District Judge Elissa Cadish found Redman guilty but mentally ill of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon after an eight-day bench trial.
The verdict means that Redman, 57, will be locked up in prison and given psychiatric treatment.
Defense attorneys argued he was not guilty by reason of insanity.
Gloria, a sixth-grader at Harney Middle School, had stayed home sick the day she was killed. Gloria’s mother was grocery shopping when the slaying occurred.
During the trial, testimony showed that Gloria suffered defensive wounds on her hands as she tried to stop her father.
When Redman’s wife, Rosemary, came home and found the scene, she called 911. She could be heard on a 911 recording screaming, “What did you do to (my) baby?”
William Redman calmly told a 911 operator: “It was the way Jehovah does things.”
When Las Vegas police arrived at the family’s trailer at Road Runner RV Park on Boulder Highway near Flamingo Road, they found William Redman sitting on the front steps, covered in blood, with his arms extended in front of his legs and his hands open, palms forward, according to court documents.
William Redman was hospitalized for self-inflicted wounds to his arms, wrists and neck.
Similar wounds, described as ritualistic, appeared on Gloria.
Redman insisted that if Gloria was left in her condition for three days, she would be resurrected from the dead by her mother.
He later told a state psychiatrist that the event was supposed to be a joyous occasion, and he did not believe what he did was illegal. He said he was to be with Gloria and guide her for three days before his wife resurrected them both.
Deputy public defender Andrea Luem said once her client was effectively medicated, he was completely devastated by what he had done.
Luem said Redman, a Jehovah’s Witness who worked for a carnival, had not exhibited violent behavior before. A month before the slaying, he showed signs of schizophrenic behavior, referring to aliens speaking to him through the television.
Luem said her client “is extremely mentally ill.”
A sentencing hearing was set for April 27. William Redman faces 20 years in prison to life without parole.
Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.