A Dutch court acquitted the brother of Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman on Thursday, saying that he was temporarily insane at the time.
Rotterdam District said Jason Halman “was in a state of psychosis at the time of the stabbing” and couldn’t therefore be held accountable for his actions.
Greg Halman, who was 24 at the time of his death last November 21, hit .230 in 35 games for the Mariners in 2011 and made starts at all three outfield positions before being optioned down to Triple-A Tacoma.
He died after being stabbed in the neck at an apartment in Rotterdam following an argument with his 22-year-old brother over loud music. Gregory Halman had returned to the apartment the two brothers shared to tell his brother to turn down the stereo when Jason pulled a knife out and lunged at him.
Gregory Halman instinctively raised his arm to protect himself, but the blade tore into the left side of his neck, near the carotid artery. He managed a few steps before collapsing against a nearby wall and bleeding to death in a matter of minutes, according to an ESPN report.
In a written statement, Jason Halman was allowed to walk free after psychiatric and psychological assessments found “there is only a remote chance of any reoccurrence; it is well possible that the psychosis has been a singular event.”
Halman had already been released from custody two weeks ago after prosecutors joined defense attorneys in saying that he should be acquitted on mental health grounds.
Born in the city of Haarlem, Greg Halman played in the Dutch Pro League and was part of the gold-medal winning Dutch squad at the 2007 European Championship and played for the Netherlands at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
A bevy of friends and family continue to support Jason Halman, most notably his mother whose impassioned pleas on his behalf may have helped in retaining his freedom.
