Bexar County woman found not guilty by reason of insanity in daughter’s death

SAN ANTONIO – A Bexar County woman charged with the capital murder of her 6-year-old daughter has been found not guilty by reason of insanity — a rare outcome seen in fewer than 1% of criminal cases nationwide.

Nephiterea Sancho was accused of killing her daughter in 2024. Court records show Sancho had a documented history of mental illness after being charged with injury to a child in 2011.

Sancho had been involved in some form of state hospital care since 2011. At the time of the crime, she was under outpatient supervision.

Legal experts say not guilty by reason of insanity pleas are complex and rarely granted.

“It’s very complicated and typically it’s not done,” said Sigrid Vendrell-Polanco, a criminal law professor at St. Mary’s University, in part. “For somebody who has that history, yes, there’s more evidence that a prosecutor or even a defense attorney can agree on.”

A search of previous cases found only one similar plea in Atascosa County dating back to 2013.

Sancho will now be committed to a state mental hospital, where she is expected to remain for the rest of her life.

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