New Church woman found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity

By Linda Cicoira

    A 41-year-old New Church woman was found not guilty of second-degree murder and arson by reason of insanity Thursday in Accomack Circuit Court in connection with the death of her uncle and the destruction of the home she shared with him and a cousin.

    Both the prosecution, the defense, and the judge agreed on the disposition for Kimiko Tenallie Dickerson, of Bishop Road. Judge W. Revell Lewis III ordered she be sent for treatment by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

     “It appears there is no question at all that you suffer from mental illness that has gotten worse over the last 15 years or so,” said Lewis. The judge said she will not be released without a court order. A status hearing was scheduled for Jan. 26.

    Evidence showed Dickerson was diagnosed at age 26 with bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia. Before that she went to college and became a nurse. Dickerson had stopped taking her medication because she reportedly couldn’t afford it. A 20-minute video from the scene of the fire was played for the court. Fire trucks and other apparatus blared in the background and smoke and fire could be seen. During the recording, Dickerson admitted she intentionally set fire to the house, but wasn’t trying to kill anyone. Her uncle’s body was shown in the yard covered with a sheet. She wiped tears from her eyes while the video was shown.

    On April 13, 2021, 59-year-old poultry plant worker Delbert (Del) Eugene Dickerson, died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries in the blaze. The other occupant, Lowrence (Roncy) Rue, escaped unharmed. Rue attempted to rescue his uncle, but was pushed back by flames, the court file stated. He then ran to a neighbor’s house to call for help. The defendant was treated for third-degree burns.

     Her reasons for setting the the fire were delusional. She said there were “things going on in the house” – a voice coming from the attic and a baby python up there. She also described the non-existent basement as being “the night of the living dead … There ain’t nothing else I could do, but to set it on fire,” she told investigators.

    Commonwealth’s Attorney Spencer Morgan said it was “the only logical outcome” for the case. “When we look at the evidence, we don’t see any other possibility.”

    Defense lawyer Garrett Dunham remembered interviewing her when he was first appointed to the case. He was “asking her to recall something that she had no clear memory of because of her state of mind at the time.”

     Judge Lewis assured the family that the defendant would get her medications in the future.