A Virginia college student has been jailed for 20 years for fatally stabbing her best friend 30 times during a drug-fuelled ‘psychotic episode.’
Luisa Ines Tudela Harris Cutting, 21, pleaded guilty on Monday to the butchering of Alexa Cannon and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Cutting, who was the president of Radford University’s Latinos Student Alliance at the time, told police that she had been ‘doing cocaine with the devil.’
Reports said she had cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms, Adderall, Xanax and marijuana in her system.
The 21-year-old confessed to the murder of her friend when officers first showed up at their apartment and then again later during the official interview.
Reports said that the student rambled about apocalyptic visions, prayed and repeated the Hail Mary over and over.
Cutting’s attorney said that she experienced a ‘psychotic episode’ due to the amount of different drugs she had taken.
Virginia college student, Luisa Cutting (left), stabbed her friend Alexa Cannon (right) 30 times after taking a drug cocktail
It is reported that the pair were ‘best friends’ and had known each other long before moving in to their apartment. Police attended the property, based off-campus near to the University of Radford campus in Virginia, where Cutting (pictured right) immediately admitted to Cannon’s (pictured left) murder when they arrived
Luisa Cutting, pictured left, stabbed Alexa Cannon, pictured right, 30 times with a butcher knife. The 21-year-old student will serve 20 years in prison and is ordered to undergo mental health treatment
Luisa, pictured right, claimed through her defense attorney that she suffered a psychotic episode before she attacked Cannon (pictured left). She blamed the amount of different substances she had taken that night. Police found cocaine, marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, Adderall and Xanax in her system.
She also tried to shove her hand in her mouth, according to the New York Post. This behavior concerned police so they committed her to a mental health facility for a week.
During a search of the property, police found drug paraphernalia and what was described by the Roanaoke Times as a brown, chalk-like substance.
Cutting’s attorney said that she experienced a ‘psychotic episode’ due to the amount of different drugs she had taken.
Luisa Cutting, pictured left, was the president of the Latinos Student Alliance at Radford University. The family of Alexa Cannon, pictured right, said that she managed her epilepsy courageously and loved music and the arts
The police were unable to identify a motive for the murder but Cutting’s (pictured right) defense lawyer said it was a psychotic episode that caused her to kill her best friend Cannon (pictured left)
‘There are no words for this tragedy and my heart is filled with sorrow and grief. … I am so, so sorry,’ Cutting said during the trial. She sought forgiveness and apologized to Cannon’s family.
The stabbing happened in an apartment the pair, who were friends before moving in together, shared off-campus on the 1200 block of Clement Street. Officers attended the scene after neighbours complained of arguing and screaming at 07:45 am.
The 21-year-old met the police at the door and said she’d killed her friend. Authorities said they never discovered a motive for the fierce attack.
At a memorial service in January, friends and relatives said that Cannon managed her epilepsy courageously and that she loved music and art.
Cutting sought forgiveness from the victim’s family saying: ‘my heart is filled with sorrow and grief. … I am so, so sorry.’ The stabbing happened in an apartment the pair, who were friends before moving in together, shared off-campus on the 1200 block of Clement Street (pictured)
Cutting (pictured) will serve a 20 year sentence in prison. The judge sentenced her to 40 years which will decrease once 20 is done. She will also undergo mental health treatment. The student spoke of apocalyptic visions and said that she’d been doing drugs with the devil