Florida woman who claimed COVID-19 made her kill 15-month-old daughter found not guilty

A Florida woman who blamed COVID-19 for allegedly killing her toddler and stabbing two other relatives was stunningly acquitted of all criminal charges.

Precious Bland — who admitted to drowning her 15-month-old daughter in a bathtub then knifing her husband and teen daughter in August 2021 — was suffering from a psychotic break triggered by COVID-19 during the harrowing incident, her lawyers argued during a two-day bench trial in Miami-Dade County this week. 

Precious Bland was suffering from a psychotic break brought on by COVID-19 when she killed her 15-month-old daughter, her defense lawyers argued. Miami-Dade Police Department

The mother of six was experiencing command hallucinations, with voices in her head telling her to baptize her relatives who were also infected with the respiratory illness, defense attorney Larry Handfield told NBC Miami. 

“Jesus Christ is coming and COVID is going to kill us all,” a crazed Bland allegedly told her family – and insisted they all needed to be baptized – before taking matters into her own hands, the outlet reported. 

Shortly thereafter, Bland allegedly held the baby underwater until she became unresponsive. 

When her husband tried to intervene Bland stabbed him and their 16-year-old daughter as the panicked family members tried to flee her knife-wielding path, according to the arrest report, NBC Miami reported.

Bland burst into tears at the judge’s not guilty ruling. CBS News

Judge Miguel de la O found her not guilty by reason of insanity on one count of aggravated manslaughter and two counts of first-degree attempted murder. 

Bland — who burst into tears at the judge’s ruling — bizarrely professed her love for her children outside of the courtroom after the Tuesday hearing, CBS News reported. 

“God is good. This doesn’t bring back my daughter,” she said. “I’m thankful. I love my children.”