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Man charged with grandmother's murder found not guilty by reason of insanity

A gavel rests on a judge's bench in a blurry courtroom. The text "WCBU Courts" sits on top of that photo.

A 29-year-old Peoria County man accused of killing his grandmother with a hammer at her home last spring has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Prosecutors said Cody Krause fatally beat 73-year-old Glenda Rusterholz in her house in the 800 block of South Kim Moor Road in April 2022 during a schizophrenic episode.

Peoria County Sheriff's deputies found Krause in a catatonic, non-verbal state with blood on his pants and a hammer in his hand. He later told deputies voices told him to kill his grandmother.

Krause is diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type.

Chief Judge Kate Gorman rendered her verdict during a stipulated bench trial.

Krause is in the custody of the Illinois Department of Human Services. He'll be housed for treatment in a behavioral health facility.

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Tim is the News Director at WCBU Peoria Public Radio.