Suburban NJ mom who killed toddler found not guilty by reason of insanity

⚖️ A Florham Park mother has been found not guilty by reason of insanity in the drowning of her 3-year-old daughter.

🏥 Jeanine Glass remains in a secure psychiatric facility, with a hearing set for April 23.

💔 The case echoes other heartbreaking NJ child death cases involving severe mental illness.

A 43-year-old mother accused of murdering her young daughter has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Jeanine Glass, of Florham Park, has been in a secure psychiatric facility since last summer. She had a bench trial on Thursday, during which Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor returned the verdict.

A hearing is scheduled for April 23.

Under state law, a defendant found not guilty by reason of insanity is typically committed to a psychiatric facility and remains under court supervision. There are typically periodic reviews to determine whether the person poses a danger to themselves or others.

Husband discovers heartbreaking scene

Glass’ husband first found his wife, semi-conscious and in wet clothes, in their Florham Park home on Woods End Road on July 6, 2025. He called 911, reporting a potential drug overdose.

It was only after police and EMS arrived and rushed Glass for treatment that her spouse made the horrific discovery of his three-year-old child’s lifeless body in a bathtub.

Read More: Florham Park mother held in psychiatric facility after child's death 

The father had gone upstairs and found lights on in his daughter’s room but her crib empty. An older brother of the victim was safe, asleep in his own bedroom.

Glass was alone with both of their children earlier that evening while her husband was out, investigators said.

Defense cites longstanding mental illness

Glass’ defense attorney said the family is "grateful for the court’s ruling, which recognizes the serious mental illness that resulted in this tragedy and enables Jeanine to continue receiving specialized psychiatric care."

"The decision acknowledges that mental illness is complex and requires the compassionate administration of justice,” Anne Collart, for the Newark-based FBT Gibbons firm, said in a written statement.

“Jeanine’s family thanks the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office for the sensitivity they showed in handling this case. As long-time advocates for mental health awareness, her family understands the importance of Jeanine receiving the professional medical care and support she needs, which she will now be afforded under ongoing court supervision. This continues to be a challenging time for the family, and they respectfully ask for continued prayers and privacy.”

Read More: Lakewood mom, 27, killed 2 children ‘not guilty by reason of insanity'

Similar NJ cases involving insanity verdicts for parents

In an all-too-familiar case, a 27-year-old Lakewood mom received the same verdict in Ocean County last year.

Naomi Elkins killed her young daughters — stabbing a 1-year-old child and then drowning her in a bathtub, before then also drowning her 3-year-old girl in a separate tub, prosecutors said.

During a single-day trial in Superior Court, a psychologist testified that Elkins suffered from postpartum psychosis, Asbury Park Press reported.

The condition is considered a rare psychiatric emergency that requires hospitalization, according to the National Library of Medicine.

A severe mental illness, it presents with extreme confusion, loss of touch with reality, paranoia, delusions, disorganized thought process and hallucinations.

There have been two other heart-wrenching cases in recent years, both in Somerset County.

Read More: Somerset County mom not guilty by reason of insanity in killings 

In November 2021, Yuhwei Chou, of the Skillman section of Montgomery, faced two murder charges for the suffocation deaths of her 7-year-old daughter and her infant son, not yet a year old.

On Dec. 23, 2022, Chou was found not guilty by reason of insanity, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.

Chou has remained in Krol status — she was also found to be a danger to herself and others.

Her treatment plan is monitored every six months by the court.

Last month, the tragic deaths of two young brothers stunned Hillsborough.

Priyatharsini Natarajan was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, in the strangulation deaths of her sons, ages 5 and 7, prosecutors said.

Read More: Hillsborough mother pleads not guilty to murder of two young sons

The two young boys were found dead in their family’s home by their father, as he returned home from work on Jan. 13.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom