Patrick Harvey O’Ree Jr. has been found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity on six charges connected to the 2021 stabbing death of his wife, Holly Ann O’Ree, in Fairmount.
The case stems from a violent incident on the night of January 31, 2021, when police were called to a home on Scott Brown Road off Highway 411. Officers discovered a woman outside the residence with multiple stab wounds. She was rushed to a local hospital by ambulance but later died from her injuries. The victim was identified as 38-year-old Holly Ann O’Ree.
District Attorney Erle J. Newton explained that, while the evidence clearly showed O’Ree committed the act, questions arose about his mental state at the time. His defense team requested a psychiatric evaluation, citing concerns about his mental health. The prosecution also sought an independent evaluation from one of Georgia’s leading forensic mental health experts.
Both evaluations reached the same conclusion: O’Ree was suffering from psychosis during the incident and could not distinguish right from wrong. Experts further determined he was under a delusional compulsion that overpowered his ability to resist committing the crime.
Instead of serving a prison sentence, O’Ree will be placed in a state mental health facility, where he will remain under treatment for an undetermined amount of time.
