A mixture of feelings filled the court house when 16 year old Heather Marie D’Aoust was charged with second-degree murder of her mother. Heather was 14 years old when she brutally attacked her mother with a claw hammer. She also got charged with assault with a deadly weapon for striking her father with the hammer but he was not seriously injured. Heathers father forgave her of what she did but for other family members they could not. San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael Wellington was convinced that Heather suffered from a severe mental health but was not a legal defense in the case.

At one point she planed on killing everyone on in the house including her sister and her sisters boyfriend according to the documents. She later decided to kill the first person who woke up in her Scrips Ranch home.

James D’Aoust has insisted since the day his daughter has been in court that she was not “evil” but suffered mental problems which were inherited likely from her parents. James D’Aoust said that Heather’s actions caused the family “incredible loss” but that she is now “moving in the right direction” and he would continue to support her. Her grandfather had different feelings. “I just can’t forgive her said Richard McGrath, who described his daughter Rebecca as a loving, doting mother.

Heather cried softly when her father and grandfather spoke. When it was her turn Heather apologized to her sisters and said that she loved them. One sister said that she loved her too and the other sister just turned away. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I wasn’t able to stop myself.” Heather told her family.

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