A 32-year-old woman from Pennsylvania, Skye Naggy, has been sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison for trying to kill her 6-year-old daughter. Authorities say she believed they were being targeted by a serial killer she imagined was real.
Plea and Charges
On May 27, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office announced that Naggy was sentenced after pleading guilty but mentally ill in January. Her charges included attempted homicide, aiding suicide, aggravated assault, kidnapping, interference with child custody, and child endangerment. After serving her sentence, she will also face five years of probation.
Timeline of the Incident
The events took place in late 2022. On October 25, Naggy avoided being admitted to a hospital for mental health care. She took her daughter from emergency care and brought her to a remote area near Loyalhanna Lake. There, she gave the child fentanyl and an opioid. An open Bible was found nearby.
Police later said Naggy had taken the child from a protected home where they were under emergency care.
Mental Health and Beliefs
During the investigation, police found several handwritten letters by Naggy. In them, she wrote about needing fentanyl to protect herself and her daughter. She believed she was about to die and that a serial killer she thought she was romantically involved with was trying to kill them.
Naggy said later, “My only goal was to save my daughter from a serial killer. I did not realize I had schizophrenia until it was too late.”
Rescue and Medical Care
Police were able to track Naggy’s phone and found her and the child in a wooded area off a trail. The child, who had opioids in her system, survived and is now being cared for by a family member.
Psychiatric Diagnosis
Two psychiatrists testified in court that Naggy was diagnosed with schizophrenia after her arrest. They stated that she continues to show signs of mental illness and will need long-term mental health treatment.