A Virginia judge accepted Leandra Andrade’s plea of not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2022 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Lanoix, who died with toxic levels of Benadryl in her system.
At a Glance
- Leandra Andrade was found not guilty by reason of insanity on January 14
- Her daughter Lanoix died from a fatal Benadryl overdose in August 2022
- A March conditional-release hearing will decide if she is committed to a behavioral-health facility
- Why it matters: The ruling ends the criminal case but leaves the father without a trial that would have publicly examined how the child died
The plea, entered Wednesday in Virginia Beach, halts the trial on charges of aggravated murder and child neglect. A second-degree murder count was dropped, according to News Of Los Angeles‘s news partner 13 News Now.
The Night of the Death
Detectives said Andrade, then 38, was discovered unconscious at the Cutty Shark hotel in Virginia Beach in August 2022. Lanoix was found foaming at the mouth; a toxicology report revealed lethal Benadryl levels, local station WTKR reported.
Prosecutors introduced text messages they say Andrade sent to the girl’s father, Fabio Andrade Jr., hours before the death:
- “Neither one of us want the future you are manifesting; It will make you cry yourself to sleep at night”
- A follow-up resent hours later stated “you don’t win,” circled the earlier warning, and added “Please believe me”
Custody Battle Background
Court records show Andrade had fled the Washington, D.C., area with Lanoix after a custody ruling granted:
| Custody Terms | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Legal custody | Awarded to Fabio Andrade Jr. |
| Physical custody | Joint between both parents |
The stipulation of trial evidence, obtained by WAVY, details that Andrade left the jurisdiction immediately after that order.
Mental-Health Findings
A 2024 court-ordered forensic evaluation diagnosed Andrade with:
- PTSD
- Major Depressive Disorder-recurrent, severe with psychotic features
- Persistent Depressive Disorder, early onset, moderate to severe
- PTSD with dissociative symptoms
- Unspecified eating disorder
The same evaluation noted a previous suicide attempt years before the homicide.
What Happens Next
A conditional-release hearing scheduled for March will determine whether Andrade will be committed to a state behavioral-health facility. The judge’s acceptance of the insanity plea means she will not face prison time unless future evaluations overturn the mental-health determination.
Fabio Andrade condemned the outcome, telling 13News Now:
> “It is a failure of accountability; it strips transparency from the process and denies my daughter the most basic protection the justice system promises-that the truth will be tested in open court.”
Defense attorney James Broccoletti reflected on the ruling, saying:
> “I think I can honestly say in over four decades of practicing law, this is probably the saddest case that I’ve ever had. There are no winners on either side of this case. We use the word tragedy often, but it doesn’t come close to defining this case.”
Key Takeaways
- The insanity plea was accepted on the basis of extensive psychiatric evaluations conducted over the past year
- Lanoix’s father retains full legal custody, but the criminal case is effectively closed
- The March hearing will decide the extent of Andrade’s court-supervised mental-health treatment moving forward
