35 people saw him behead a man and eat his flesh, but he's not guilty

Updated on: 07 March,2009 08:16 AM IST |
Agencies |

Judge rules the accused is mentally ill, but family of victim says 'so what?'

Judge rules the accused is mentally ill, but family of victim says 'so what?'

A man who stabbed a fellow bus passenger to death before severing his eat and eating parts of his flesh is set to avoid prison following a ruling by a judge in Canada.

The family of his victim, Tim McLean, have vowed to fight for a change in the law that allows people found not criminally responsible to avoid prison and be released back into the community once they are deemed well.

Last July

Li repeatedly stabbed the 22-year-old on a bus last July before cutting off his head while other passengers fled in terror.

Witnesses said Li attacked McLean unprovoked as their bus travelled at night along a desolate stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Passengers fled and stood outside as Li stabbed McLean dozens of times and beheaded and mutilated his body. Finding himself locked inside the bus, Li finally escaped through a window and was arrested.

A police report said an officer at the scene saw Li hacking of pieces of McLean's body and eating them.

Police said in court documents Li "appeared to smell, and then eat parts of Tim McLean's flesh" and "lick blood from his hands" as they surrounded the bus.

Schizophrenia

During a three-day trial, psychiatrists testified Li suffers from schizophrenia and did not know what he was doing when he killed McLean.

The court heard Li had auditory hallucinations on the day of the attack, that he heard God's voice telling him to board the bus and kill McLean.

Li dismembered McLean's body, psychiatrists testified, because he feared McLean could otherwise resurrect from the dead and seek revenge.

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