The attempted murder trial for a 21-year-old Santa Barbara woman accused of stabbing her Laguna Blanca School classmate has entered its fourth week.

Cora Vides, who was 18 at the time of the crime, has been accused of stabbing an 18-year-old female victim multiple times on Feb. 14, 2021 at Vides’ home.

Vides was charged with attempted murder “with premeditation and deliberation,” along with special allegations that she used a deadly weapon and caused great bodily injury.

Vides pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Her attorneys are arguing that untreated mental health issues and other stressors led Vides to carrying out the attack. The jury trial began on June 17 in Judge Von Deroian’s courtroom.

The Trial

The stabbing took place around 2 a.m. in Vides’ bedroom, at her family’s home in Santa Barbara’s Mesa neighborhood.

Vides and the victim were reportedly friends at the time after meeting in high school. On the evening of Feb. 13, Vides invited the victim to her parents’ house where the two of them ate dinner, played video games and had deep conversations, according to law enforcement testimony given during preliminary hearing.

Vides reportedly had the victim lay on the floor and cover her eyes with a sweatshirt before stabbing her in the neck with a knife. Vides’ parents took her to the hospital, according to court testimony.

Vides has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity which means the criminal trial has a guilt stage and a sanity phase.

When trial testimony is over, the jury will deliberate and decide whether or not the defendant is guilty of attempted murder and other charges.

If Vides were found guilty, there would be a sanity phase, where the jury decides whether the defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity. That decision can determine whether the defendant is sentenced to a psychiatric hospital or state prison.

Mental Health Testimony

On Friday, Dr. Jamie Rotnofsky, a local clinical psychologist, testified as an expert witness for the defense.  

Rotnofsky testified that defense attorneys asked her in February 2021 to evaluate Vides’ mental health and recommend treatment options. Vides is represented by attorney Robert Sanger.

Rotnofsky testified that she evaluated Vides on Feb. 17, 2021 and on Aug. 13, 2021. Rotnofsky also said that she reviewed interview transcripts between Vides and other psychologists, detectives, and read police reports. 

Rotnofsky testified that she initially diagnosed Vides with major depressive disorder with psychotic features, meaning delusions or hallucinations. 

She testified that, after further information, she diagnosed Vides with unspecified dissociative disorder with delusions, as well as several other disorders.  

Rotnofsky said a person with a dissociative disorder loses their sense of self, doesn’t have control over thoughts and consciousness, and experiences dissociative events which can be part of a psychotic event.

Rotnofsky said that based on the reports she examined, Vides’ mental health began to deteriorate leading up to the stabbing, she had a family history of mental health, and she began experiencing social anxiety and self harm at 12 years old. 

When questioned by Kevin Weichbrod, the lead attorney for the prosecution, Rotnofsky testified that she reviewed transcripts of interviews between Vides and other psychologists. 

In those transcripts, Vides said she understood what hallucinations were but had never had a hallucination. She also said that she didn’t hear voices, and that she know no one could put words in her mind and make her do something, according to court testimony.

Rotnofsky went on to testify that Vides said in these transcripts that no one forced her to commit the crime, and that she didn’t hear a voice telling her to do it. 

Weichbrod later asked Rotnofsky about goal-oriented behavior, which is purposeful behavior directed toward achieving a goal. 

Weichbrod asked if insisting that a victim goes over to your house, insisting that they lie down, and covering their eyes with a sweatshirt so the perpetrator can attack them is indicative of goal-oriented behavior, to which Rotnofsky said yes. 

Vides, who was sitting in court next to her attorneys, began crying as Weichbrod asked Rotnofsky these questions. 

Later, while questioned by Sanger, Rotnofsky said that a person’s mental awareness breaks down when they are experiencing a psychotic episode. 

She said at the time of the crime, Vides was in in a foggy state, felt like she had no control of her body, described a dream-like experience, and experienced a feeling telling her to commit the crime, which Rotnofsky said was a dissociative incident. 

Testimony from multiple psychologists continues this week and the court expects closing arguments in the trial to begin on Thursday.