The mother of a 3-year-old thrown to his death from the Francis Scott Key Bridge says she’s upset the boy’s father has pleaded not criminally responsible to the crime — Maryland’s version of the insanity defense.
Natisha Johnson said her former boyfriend, Stephen Nelson, 38, has no history of mental illness and is only looking to avoid prison time with the plea.
“It’s just him realizing he’s about to face some serious time,” Johnson said. “He’s never been documented with any type of mental disease. I don’t believe any of that.”
Court-appointed doctors are evaluating Nelson, 38 — who is charged with the first-degree murder of Turner Jordan Nelson in February — and must report their findings to a city judge by Dec. 22.
Stephen Nelson’s public defender, Robert Linthicum, declined to comment.
Police say Nelson threw his son off the bridge amid a custody dispute with Johnson. Nelson told police that “demons” made him throw his son off the bridge, according to charging documents. Officers later recovered the boy’s body in the Baltimore harbor.
“I had a feeling he was going to go with this defense,” Johnson said. “I wish he would just get this over with. I’m not sure what could have drove him to do this other than hatred.”
Nelson’s trial is scheduled for Feb. 11.
[email protected]
