Henry McGowan, a mentally ill man from New York, was recently found not guilty by reason of insanity in an Irish court for the brutal murder of his father, John McGowan. The 31-year-old Brooklynite was on trial for killing his 66-year-old father at a luxurious hotel resort in Ireland in 2024. John McGowan had flown across the Atlantic to help his son, who was experiencing a mental health crisis.
The jury reached the verdict after hearing testimony that Henry McGowan, who had a history of mental illness and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2022, was in a psychotic episode when he beat and choked his father to death. The tragic incident occurred at the Ballyfin Demesne resort in Laois, where the father and son were staying while waiting for a new emergency passport for Henry.
According to reports, Henry McGowan had stripped naked and attacked his father in a changing cubicle in the resort’s pool area, leaving him lying in a pool of blood. After the attack, Henry was found sitting in the hotel’s library and told investigators that he believed God had willed him to strangle his father because he was trying to force him to take his medication.
Psychiatrists testified during the trial that they believed Henry McGowan was suffering from a schizoaffective disorder at the time of the murder. His prior mental health history was also presented to the jury, including an incident in 2022 when he tried to snatch a stranger’s baby on a flight to Paris with the intention of sacrificing the child to save the plane. Following that incident, he was admitted to a mental hospital for treatment.
After the verdict was delivered, Henry McGowan was returned to Dublin’s Central Mental Hospital for further treatment. A hearing scheduled for February 20 will determine his court-ordered treatment plan moving forward.
