Woman Accused in Schools Lockdown Prepares Insanity Defense

Woman behind massive Broward lockdown suffered brain injury in 1997

The woman accused causing a massive lockdown of Broward County schools after she e-mailed and phoned a radio station claiming her fake husband was going to shoot up a school is ready to say she's insane.

Ellisa Martinez is planning an insanity defense to explain the Nov. 10 threat that forced law enforcement officials to lock down all 300 Broward schools for several hours, court papers filed Tuesday said.

The filings say the 48-year-old New Port Richey resident suffered brain injury in a 1997 car accident and has had neurological problems ever since.

Prosecutors allege Martinez sent an e-mail to WFTL 850 AM pretending to be a radical who supported talk show host Joyce Kaufman. In the e-mail, the author made a threat that "something big was going to happen" at a government building or a school. Moments later, Martinez then called the station claiming to be the wife of the author.

Martinez's attorney says she was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her acts.

Martinez was arrested after she fled to California, and was ordered held without bail last month.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us