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Lincoln Man Charged with Killing Wife to Use Insanity Defense

Kent Burklund
Kent Burklund

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A man twice found to be too mentally unfit to stand trial for his wife’s killing before being declared competent to stand trial in May will argue that he’s not guilty by reason of insanity.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports (http://bit.ly/1IfENpu ) that Kent Burklund’s public defender recently filed notice with the court of her intent to raise the insanity defense at his second-degree murder trial.

Burklund is charged in the death of 41-year-old Bettina Burklund. She was found dead in the couple’s home in April 2014.

Police say Kent Burklund told investigators he was afraid of his wife and believed gang members had put date-rape drugs into his drinks and poisoned him with meth.

If convicted, Burklund could get 20 years to life in prison.

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