Woman who said she was God and killed best friend’s husband found not guilty by reason of insanity

JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind. (TCN) -- A judge determined that a woman who claimed to be God and shot her friend’s husband in the face was not guilty by reason of insanity.

Court records show Judge Andrew Roesener returned Alicia Haupt’s verdict for charges of murder, pointing a firearm at another, and attempted murder on Jan. 30 following a bench trial, meaning the case was presented in front of a judge rather than a jury.

Haupt’s verdict came almost exactly one year after she shot and killed 35-year-old Jacob Harville on Feb. 5, 2024. According to WXIN-TV, a Johnson County Sheriff’s Office deputy made contact with Haupt on Feb. 5, 2024, when she was walking near a GMC Sierra. Haupt reportedly told the deputy the car did not belong to her, but rather it was "the man who I shot in the face’s truck." Haupt reportedly called herself "God" and said she killed Satan "before he killed us all."

WXIN reports Haupt lived with Harville and his wife, who she called her "best friend." After shooting Harville, she reportedly pointed the gun at his mother, but the firearm malfunctioned.

According to the Daily Journal, Harville’s wife reportedly once took Haupt to the hospital because she claimed she had someone else living inside of her body. Haupt was diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis in 2022.

Judge Roesener reportedly acknowledged at Haupt’s sentencing hearing that she killed Harville, but she could not "appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct." Roesener told prosecutors to file a petition that would commit Haupt to a mental health facility, which they did before the sentencing hearing ended.

Roesener said, "I see and feel the heartaches, the sadness, the anger."

WXIN reports Harville’s father expressed following the decision, "This is not right. It’s not justice for my son, Jacob Harville. It’s no justice whatsoever."

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