Bluffton man charged with killing stepfather found not guilty by reason of insanity
A Bluffton man charged with fatally shooting his stepfather in May in Burton was found not guilty by reason of insanity after a bench trial Wednesday and will be taken to a mental health facility for an evaluation and further treatment, according to a court order provided by the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office.
Bryan Malonis, 22, will be taken to an S.C. Department of Mental Health facility for a commitment not to exceed 120 days while the department examines Malonis and determines if he needs further treatment, the court order said. He could be held for a longer period if officials decide he needs further treatment.
Malonis was arrested May 4 and charged with the murder of his 40-year-old stepfather, Joseph Cochran, in Burton's Pleasant Farm subdivision. Malonis shot Cochran twice in the chest and once in the back of the head, according to arrest warrants from the S.C. Law Enforcement Division.
Only Cochran and Malonis were home when the shooting occurred. Malonis's mother came home later to find him holding the gun; when the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office arrived, Malonis told the deputies he had shot Cochran.
Cochran's death was preceded by at least three mental evaluations and reports that Malonis had made threats toward his family.
Malonis's mother Kelley Cochran told deputies during an April arrest her son had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was prescribed three different types of medication, though he didn't take them regularly.
A week before his arrest, Malonis had asked deputies to transport him to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for an evaluation, one of three times he was transported for evaluations, according to Sheriff's Office reports.
About a month before the shooting, Kelley Cochran called the Sheriff's Office to have Malonis involuntarily admitted to the hospital after he talked about hurting people and his family. He refused to go, so was handcuffed and transported involuntarily, the report said.
"Bryan also talks about demons telling him to do things," the incident report read.
Follow reporter Matt McNab on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Matt.
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This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Bluffton man charged with killing stepfather found not guilty by reason of insanity."