Texas mom accused of decapitating 3-week-old son never got postpartum help, attorney says

Lawyer: Mental illness wore down accused Texas mom

SAN ANTONIO — A Texas judge is set to decide whether a mother accused of decapitating her 3-week-old son is mentally competent to stand trial.

Otty Sanchez is expected to make her first court appearance Thursday since her son was found dismembered in July. Sanchez is charged with capital murder, and prosecutors say they will pursue the death penalty.

Sanchez’s attorney says the 33-year-old mother had postpartum psychosis that was insufficiently treated in the weeks before the killing. Prosecutors say they are unsure of claims that Sanchez had a history of mental illness.

A failed proposal in the last Texas legislative session would have recognized postpartum mental disorders as a legal defense, similar to laws that exist in 29 other countries.