Virginia student who brutally stabbed best friend 30 times in drug-fuelled 'psychotic episode' pleads guilty to murder
RADFORD, VIRGINIA: A college student from Virginia, convicted for fatally stabbing her best friend 30 times, pleaded guilty to the murder on Monday, October 7, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Luisa Ines Tudela Harris Cutting, 21, from Jeffersonton in Culpeper County, reportedly committed the January 24 crime in a drug-fuelled "psychotic episode."
Cutting told authorities that she had been "doing cocaine with the devil" at the time she stabbed her flatmate Alexa Cannon.
The 21-year-old, who was the president of Radford University's Latinos Student Alliance at the time, reportedly had a mix of cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms, Adderall, Xanax and marijuana in her system.
Reports state that she confessed to murdering her friend when police officers showed up at their apartment and later made the confession again during an official interview with investigators.
Cutting, during her confession, allegedly rambled statements about the apocalypse and said the Hail Mary prayer multiple times in Spanish, according to the Roanoke Times.
Cutting's attorney, in reference to her ramblings, said that the college student experienced a "psychotic episode" due to the amount of varied drugs she had taken. Reports state that she even attempted to shove her hand in her mouth that left concerned officers to commit her to a mental health facility for a week.
"There are no words for this tragedy and my heart is filled with sorrow and grief. I am so, so sorry," Cutting said during the trial as she apologized to the victim's family and sought forgiveness.
Before the murder, Cannon had shared glowing social media posts about Cutting, saying she was her best friend. A post on Cannon’s Facebook page from July 2018 read: “So incredibly proud of my best friend Luisa Cutting for becoming Latinos Student Alliance’s President! I know you’re going to be amazing with everything you do! Love you more!!”
The tragedy occurred in an off campus apartment shared by Cutting and Cannon on the 1200 block of Clement Street. The duo were friends before moving in together.
Authorities were alerted of the incident after neighbors complained of arguing and screaming coming from the apartment at 7:45 am. Cutting reportedly told police at the door that she had killed her friend.