"Johnson used scissors to stab and slash her daughter 100 times in the laundry room of an apartment complex."

In the vast majority of cases where an untreated mental patient commits a violent crime -- I hesitate to even use the word crime because someone out of his mind is incapable of making a rational decision to do wrong -- the victim is a family member. Here are three such cases from the news today.

The Houston Chronicle reports:

A man with a history of mental illness has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of his younger brother, Harris County Sheriff's officials said.

Joshua Lelay, 24, died after he was found about 3:45 a.m. Tuesday by deputies responding to a possible stabbing ...

Investigators learned that Daniel Lelay stabbed his brother after hearing voices, officials said.

Channel 7 News (NBC) in Boston reports:

GARDNER, Mass. -- 39-year old Susan Johnson is charged with repeatedly stabbing her two-year old daughter in Gardner last year. Lawyers for Johnson have indicated that she has a history of mental illness.

Prosecutors said Johnson used scissors to stab and slash her daughter 100 times in the laundry room of an apartment complex back in April. She also allegedly tried to strangle the girl with an electrical cord.

The AP in Binghamton, NY reports:

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) - Tricia McGarity pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in October for beating to death her 3-year-old son Milken. An autopsy showed the boy died from several blows to the head.

A prosecutor and defense lawyer both said she has a history of mental illness.