WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A man accused of killing his wife with a wrench while she was sleeping last year in Waterford Township has been found not guilty by reason of insanity, and the woman’s family is at a loss.
Justin Wagenberg entered an insanity plea in court last week after being charged with beating his 38-year-old wife Katy Dougherty to death with a wrench while she was asleep in October 2022. Family told Local 4 that Wagenberg fled to Wisconsin after Dougherty’s murder, but returned and then turned himself in.
That insanity plea was accepted by the court this week. A judge found Wagenberg not guilty for the crime by reason of insanity after the man underwent two psychiatric evaluations.
When someone commits a crime, like murder in this case, and is legally found insane at the time of the crime, there has to be a preponderance of evidence in order for the court to make such a ruling. In this case, both doctors behind the evaluations agreed that there was a preponderance of evidence that Wagenberg was legally insane when he killed his wife, and the court agreed.
Those medical records are private under law, so they cannot be shared with the public. It’s a murder case in which Dougherty’s family will never get to see the evidence.
“It’s the rage, you know,” said Jim Dougherty, Katy’s father. “... Frustration -- there’s a lot of frustration going on.”
Family members were hopeful they’d be able to learn why the doctors say Wagenberg was insane, since they never thought of him that way.
“We could have learned all of the details,” said Peggy Dougherty-Dahl, Katy’s aunt. “I begged them ... have the judge waive his HIPPA rights so that we can see the proof of why he’s insane. We never thought he was insane.”
Katy Dougherty’s family believe something is wrong, and that they have a right to know.
Wagenberg will not receive jail time for the crime, and he has not been required to attend a psychiatric facility as of this week. He is up for review once each year, and the family is worried that he’ll get an early release, though it may be unlikely. He was being held at the Oakland County Jail.
Katy Dougherty was known as a gentle and beloved hairdresser who worked for three assisted living communities in Oakland County.
Original report: Oakland County family mourns woman beaten to death with wrench; Husband charged with murder