Say What!?
Man Says Sleepwalking Made Him Rob a Woman at Knifepoint
A man accused of trying to rob a woman at knifepoint says he's innocent because -- get this -- he was sleepwalking.
Winston A. Riley claims he awoke only as the frightened, 81-year-old victim was running away from where he allegedly had her cornered in an elevator at the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut.
The little old lady told police they were alone in the elevator when Riley flashed his blade and tried to snatch her purse. When she resisted, he ran off.
Riley, who has a clean record otherwise, is sticking to his story. And his lawyers are gathering medical records to back up this claim.
To be fair, this isn't such a strange tactic. This defense has actually been used many times before in cases ranging from petty crime to murder. But it's kinda hard to swallow at first.
You are telling me someone can get up, grab a knife, leave the house, drive someplace, walk past buzzing slot machines and yammering patrons, get into an elevator and -- still sound asleep -- mug a random person?!? REALLY? SERIOUSLY?
This sounds just as wacky as the Twinkie Defense ... or now, the Bath Salts Defense. People will blame their bizarre behavior on anything but themselves. But who knows. It's certainly not implausible. Stranger things certainly have happened.
What do you think of his sleepwalking defense?
Image via Walt Stoneburner/Flickr
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prplecat
I used to sleepwalk. One morning, I got up, dressed in my whites for work, wrapped two cakes that I had baked and frosted the night before, and got my purse. I left the house and DROVE EIGHT-AND-A-HALF MILES to work. I woke up at the front doors...they were unlocked at 5 am, and it wasn't 3 am yet. Not being able to open the doors while standing there with my purse over my shoulder and a cake in each hand woke me completely.
That night I started using some self-hypnosis techniques before bed, and the sleepwalking stopped entirely within a couple of weeks.
Cynthia Parten
Before we were together, my husband took Ambien to helpo him sleep. In the middle of the night, he got up, got dressed and went out in his car. He doesn't even know where he was going. When he woke up, he was in a jail cell because he had crashed into someone and the cops thought he was drunk.
orangetree
It will be interesting to see how this case plays out since it happened on tribal land.
Mike M
Allisonc7910
Wow at prpcat, amazing how you did all that in your sleep. I have sleepwalked but only as a kid at an overnight gymnastics extravaganza, glad I didn't walk out of the building. I kept waking up and walking around while everyone was watching a movie. I even got up and tried laying next to someone, lol. I have never done it again. All that was was a little embarrassment, can't imagine being an adult and getting in a car or who knows what.
Jessy Roos
Unfortunately, many people don't know the extent of their sleepwalking until they are hurt in some way, and there is no real way to know if you will be violent or do something dangerous like operate a vehicle.
the4mutts
I have personally made phone calls, and had entire conversations while sleeping.
My SO used to sleep EAT when I was pregnant. We would get up in the morning and the kitchen would be damned near empty. He gained 40lbs before doctors could find the right medication combo to stop it. It was important to stop, because he wouldn't always just eat food. He would eat napkins, he ate coffee grounds, and ate from the trash more than once. Btw, we weren't poor and he wasn't hungry. This was just 2 years ago. He was worried and stressed from the pregnancy, and it screwed his brain up while he was sleeping.
butterflyfreak
Well, considering this man has NO previous record, I would say it's entirely possible that he was sleep-walking. Considering this is not a new thing and people have been found doing many things while sleepwalking, I really don't know why the author of this post is so disbelieving and judgy!
Emily
Michelle