Stoughton, WI – A Wisconsin woman is facing serious criminal charges after allegedly attempting to kill her father during a violent episode fueled by hallucinations in which she believed he was the “living embodiment of the devil,” according to police reports.
Jamie Anderson, 34, has been charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide while using a dangerous weapon, with the offense classified as domestic abuse under Wisconsin law. The charges carry severe penalties, and the domestic abuse designation could enhance her sentence if convicted.
The Stoughton Police Department says the incident unfolded in the early hours of July 1 at the victim’s home on South Page Street in Stoughton, a quiet community roughly 20 miles southeast of Madison.
Investigators say Anderson walked 16 miles from her Madison apartment to her father’s home before ringing his doorbell. Upon answering, her father recalls she first expressed a desire to “stop hallucinating” and then asked for a hug.
When he questioned whether she was under the influence of drugs, police say Anderson lunged forward with a knife, allegedly attempting to stab him in the head.
Multiple stabbing attempts reportedly followed, some of which caused bleeding. “I’m going to kill you,” Anderson allegedly repeated during the attack. A violent struggle ensued inside the home, during which the father says he managed to push his daughter over a coffee table before fleeing outside for safety.
Officers responding at 6 a.m. found the injured man on his front stoop with blood on his arm. “She actually came here to kill me,” he told police.
Authorities located Anderson moments later, emerging from a side stairway holding an orange-handled knife. She dropped the weapon when ordered and was taken into custody without further incident.
According to police, Anderson admitted she suffers from hallucinations and believed her father was the devil. She allegedly confessed to stabbing him about four times, stating her intention was to kill him.
The victim sustained serious injuries, including head wounds requiring staples and an arm injury that necessitated surgery. Despite the attack, he told officers, “This is not her,” suggesting her mind had been “cooked” by drug abuse.
Anderson appeared in Dane County Circuit Court on July 25, where a judge set her bond at $500,000 and imposed a no-contact order prohibiting communication with her father should she be released. She has been assigned a public defender and is scheduled for her next court appearance on August 5.
She remains held in the Dane County Jail as the investigation continues.
