Pecatonica man found not guilty by reason of insanity for stabbing friend to death
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A Pecatonica man has been found not guilty by reason of insanity for stabbing a friend to death in 2019.
David Baldwin, 48, was charged with First Degree Murder for the slaying of Scott Rocen, 52, in September 2019.
Following his arrest, Baldwin was treated for a year at the Elgin Mental Health Center.
This week, a discharge hearing was held in Winnebago County Court to determine if he could be restored to sanity. Baldwin was found mentally unfit to stand trial and found not guilty.
According to the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to investigate a disturbance at in the 300 block of E. 7th Street around 9:30 p.m. on September 13th.
There, they found Rocen dead of multiple stab wounds, according to the Winnebago County Coroner.
According to investigators, Baldwin had been released from Oakhill Correctional Institution on August 20th of that year.
On the night of the killing, Baldwin, Rocen, and a neighbor had been drinking at a neighbor's house. At some point, investigators said Baldwin returned home. Rocen went to check on him, and Baldwin stabbed him to death, thinking he was a burglar.
The Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office said Baldwin was the one who called police, claiming he had stabbed a burglar in the neck, throat, and stomach.
Rocen had been stabbed 13 times, authorities said.
The Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office said that while he was in custody, Baldwin claimed that he was tired of people breaking into his house and stealing from him.
Judge Debra Schaefer ordered him to five years of additional treatment at the Elgin Mental Health Center. If he is restored to mental fitness, he will then stand trial for First Degree Murder.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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