The murder trial of Chloe Alexis Driver, a mother accused of fatally stabbing her 13-month-old daughter, continued into its third day, amid claims by prosecutors that she committed the act to be with her “polygamist cult” husband. Driver, 24, has faced several charges including malice murder and first-degree cruelty to children in connection to the 2020 death of her daughter, Hannah Nicole Driver. In a previous plea, Driver had entered not guilty by reason of insanity, as reported byCBS Austin.
Questions about Driver’s mental health and her ability to stand trial were brought up earlier this week. Judge Ellen McElyea highlighted these concerns, indicating that they may bear on Driver’s criminal responsibility. According toTurn to 10, Angela Trethaway, Driver’s defense attorney stated, “We intend, going forward, to admit that she did, in fact, commit the acts alleged in the indictment.” This turn in the defense’s approach could pivot the case’s focus towards Driver’s state of mind at the time of the alleged murder.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Katie Gropper has alleged that Driver was part of a “polygamist group,” implicating her place in a complex dynamic involving a husband with multiple wives. Gropper’s argument suggests that the murder of Hannah was motivated by Driver’s desire to exclusively possess her husband’s attention, a chilling consideration for the jurors who listened on. Witness Jason Spillars has affirmed Driver’s longstanding relationship with the man in question, predating the arrival of the other wives and shared insights into the group’s unconventional “dark therapy” rituals, as he recounted in court.
The trial has provided a window into the gruesome details of the case, with Spillars recounting the moment the husband found Driver and the young victim covered in blood, relaying a “guttural scream” that prompted his alarming discovery, “It was like a massacre,”Spillars stated. The Canton Police Department records indicate a response to a distress call on Dec. 8, 2020, where they found both Driver and her daughter with stab wounds. After providing emergency care to the child who later succumbed to her injuries, authorities arrested Driver following her own recovery from serious conditions. She is currently held at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center with a history of residences in Florida, and Tennessee, spanning her troubled past.
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