A Ventura County man who admitted killing his mother has been found not guilty in court by reason of insanity.
David Hoetzlein strangled his mother in June of 2022, and threw her remains in a dumpster.
He had a long, documented history of mental illness. The Camarillo man had been released from a mental health facility days before the killing, and his mother Tomoko was trying to get him readmitted.
Hoetzlein was initially found to be incompetent to stand trial. This week, he admitted to the second-degree murder of his mother. Two independent doctors concluded that he met the legal definition of being found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Prosecutors agreed with the evaluation. Hoetzlein will be placed in a maximum-security mental health facility for treatment.
