‘Insane’ Mom Who Drowned Baby Girl Released From Prison, Apparently Now ‘Sane’

Three years ago, Jennifer Bigham drowned her three-year-old daughter in the bathtub, then grabbed a knife and stabbed herself in the chest. The young mom was tried in court and found insane, then sent to prison.

Now, the 26-year-old is free, having been released from prison just a few days ago.

The controversial decision to release Bigham comes after medical examiners proclaimed that she had regained her sanity. However, many are wondering, if she was deemed insane at the time of the murder, why was she sent to prison rather than a mental institution? And how can a person be deemed insane, and then regain their sanity? These are questions prosecutors will try to have answered as they appeal the court’s decision to release the now 26-year-old California woman.

Three years ago, two relatives noticed that Bigham and her little girl were locked inside the bathroom. According to reports, the relatives heard the child splashing and screaming. By the time they got into the bathroom, the child was unconscious. Bigham was locked inside a bedroom with self-inflicted stab wounds.

Bigham was pictured beaming as she left the prison in a blue hospital gown. The now-free 26-year-old can not be charged again with murder due to double-jeopardy laws, but prosecutors plan to appeal the ruling and commit Bigham to a mental facility.

The medical examiners who testified three years ago that the woman was insane are the same who now testify that she merely experienced a “psychotic episode,” and is now sane.

“She’s a danger to society,” said Elaine Casillas, a deputy district attorney, said. “She’s not been evaluated properly.”

What do you think of this strange case?