WASHINGTON — A DC father is fighting prosecutors' decision to pursue an insanity plea for his ex-wife, who is accused of killing their 2-year-old daughter with a fatal dose of Benadryl.
Fabio Andrade's daughter, Lanoix, was found dead at a Virginia Beach motel in August 2022. Her mother, Leandra Andrade, is accused of killing the toddler during a bitter custody dispute.
"She was my best friend. She helped me be strong and deserved to be here. She should be here right now," Andrade told WUSA's Matthew Torres.
Detectives say Leandra was found unconscious on the motel floor, blocking the doorway. They found Lanoix in bed, foaming at the mouth. On the table was an empty 24-pack of pink tablets, along with crushed pills, bottles of sleeping aid and vodka, according to authorities.
Autopsy results show Lanoix died of toxic levels of Benadryl.
"We're dealing with someone who killed her own child, and why did she do that? She did that in retaliation because she didn't get what she wanted," Andrade said.
The incident happened in the middle of a custody dispute. Just two days before, a DC judge granted Fabio temporary sole legal custody of their toddler, but Leandra still had 50-50 physical custody.
Court documents show texts Leandra allegedly sent Fabio the night of the murder, begging him not to move forward with the separation. The messages included the sentences "YOU DON'T WIN" and "IT WILL MAKE YOU CRY" for the future he is "manifesting."
Friends also alerted police about concerning and suicidal posts on social media.
"I didn't have any inkling of mental health history or concerns at all," Andrade said.
Since then, Fabio has been waiting to fight for justice in court. But he says prosecutors recently called him to say there may not be a trial after all. Instead, they'll pursue a plea to find Leandra not guilty by reason of insanity after the Commonwealth's expert ruled she was insane at the time of murder.
"I strongly disagree with that completely," Andrade said. "I just feel like I relived the trauma again."
Fabio says he has his doubts because Leandra was a trained mental health expert who worked with DC's Department of Behavioral Health.
"She intended to murder my daughter, she planned it," Andrade said.
As Fabio continues to honor his daughter by keeping her bedroom largely untouched, he says the fight isn't over.
Under Virginia law, someone found insane would initially be evaluated every year. That alone is striking fear for Andrade that she could be set free.
"If my daughter wasn't safe around this person, no one is," Andrade said.
Prosecutors declined to comment on the case.
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