San Francisco man accused of killing, beheading his grandmother pleads not guilty in hospital

SAN FRANCISCO -- A man charged with murder for allegedly stabbing his 82-year-old grandmother and then severing her head last month in San Francisco was arraigned on Friday at a hospital, his attorney said.

Andrew Luke, 30, has been at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital since the Sept. 26 slaying, in which he's accused of killing his grandmother Chii-Chyu Horng at an apartment they shared in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood.

According to prosecutors, Luke was hearing voices when the stabbing occurred and believed that Horng was "possessed by a demon."

Luke's attorney, Deputy Public Defender Mark Jacobs, said on Friday that Luke suffers from bipolar disorder. "He is currently being medicated in the hospital. He was in a psychotic state when this incident occurred," Jacobs said. "He is heartbroken and misses his grandmother."

During his arraignment at the hospital on Friday, Luke pleaded not guilty to the murder and elder abuse charges. But, Jacobs said, Luke will be entering a not guilty by reason of insanity plea in the near future.

According to court documents, Luke had been hospitalized just two days before the alleged murder for head injuries he suffered when he banged his head against a wall in order to "get the demon out of him."

His delusions continued the following night and into the early morning of Sept. 26 when he allegedly killed his grandmother.

Afterward, around 12:25 a.m., Luke called police.

He told investigators that Jesus told him to get rid of the demon that he believed was possessing Horng. He also told investigators that Horng was "the person he loves the most," according to court documents.

Luke remains in custody while he's being hospitalized and is being held without bail. His next court date is scheduled for Nov. 27.