2026-09-20T23:22:28.549Z
- publishedAt:
Not provided→ 2025-10-16T00:00:00.000Z
SOURCE-LINKED INTELLIGENCE
ChatGPT Use Was Reportedly Cited in Delusional State Before Homicide and Assault in Readfield, Maine
In February 2025, Samuel Whittemore killed his wife, Margaux Whittemore, and assaulted his mother, Dorothy Whittemore, at a home in Readfield, Maine. Court reporting said forensic psychologists testified he was experiencing bipolar disorder with psychotic features and delusions, and that he had used ChatGPT up to 14 hours a day as a companion before the attack. Current reporting links ChatGPT use to his deteriorating mental state but does not establish direct violent instruction.
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- recordType
- incident-report
- evidenceStatus
- reported
- region
- Global
Reported occurrence date: 2025-02-19T00:00:00.000Z
Evidence & attribution
- AI Incident Database
- AI Incident Database · 2025-10-16T00:00:00.000Z
AI Incident Database, Responsible AI Collaborative; McGregor (2021), Preventing Repeated Real World AI Failures by Cataloging Incidents. Incident-specific contributor credits are available at each citation link. Metadata adapted; article text excluded.
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
First collected: 2026-09-19T22:50:59.123Z. This is not the publication date.
Observed changes
AIIC observation times, not verified publisher revision times. Up to eight recent revisions.