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Mother goes on trial for stoning sonsBy John Springer  Deanna Laney, left, is accused of stoning two of her sons to death. A third son was left nearly blind. TYLER, Texas -- Deanna Laney could not stop crying. The 39-year-old East Texas woman sobbed Monday each time a prosecutor, police officer or her own lawyer described the brutal stoning death of two of her sons and an assault that left a third son nearly blind. The prosecution and defense agreed on a major point as Laney's murder trial opened in this small town between Dallas and the Louisiana state line: Laney, who told police that God instructed her to kill her children, was insane when she stoned her sons to death on May 11, 2003. Although four forensic psychiatrists hired by the prosecution, defense and the presiding judge at the trial concluded that Laney was insane, only a jury can find her not guilty by reason of insanity, Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham said during a 12-minute opening statement. 'I just killed my boys'Laney's crying in court Monday was in stark contrast to her demeanor when she used her cell phone to call 911. Wearing her pajamas, Laney sounded composed as she stated, "I just killed my boys." "Ma'am, you did what?" the male deputy inquired. "I just killed my boys." For 38 minutes Laney calmly answered the deputy's questions. At the same time, she spoke to officers sent to investigate. "Are the boys breathing now?" the operator asked, according to a recording of the call played for the jury. "No," Laney said. "You said you killed your two boys?" the officer asked. "Why did you do that, ma'am?" Laney replied matter of factly, "I had to." According to prosecutors, Laney put her sons, Joshua, 8, Luke, 6, and Aaron, 14 months, to bed and then went to her own room. Her husband, Keith Laney, followed. Laney awoke later that night, tried to lock her sleeping husband in their bedroom and then went to Joshua and Luke's room. She escorted Luke to a rock garden in the front yard of their home, which is encircled by a white split-rail fence. Laney told her son to lie down with his head on a rock and she took another large rock, raised it over her head and brought it down onto his skull. She then killed Joshua in the same manner. Both children were found with large stones lying on their chests. Baby attacked in cribAaron was attacked with a rock in his crib but did not die. Deanna Laney was taken into custody after calling police and telling them what she had done. As the deputy and Keith Laney attended to Aaron's injuries, Deanna Laney remained on the phone outside with the 911 dispatcher. "What's going on? Are you upset about anything?" the operator asked. "I just did what I had to do," Laney said. "You did what you had to do? Why do you say that ma'am?" "That's just what I was told to do," she said. "Who told you to do that?" the dispatcher continued. "God," Laney said. Laney wore a brown jacket and orange turtleneck to court Monday. Seated in the second row of the courtroom, Keith Laney bowed his head and rubbed tears from his eyes. He remains supportive and still wears his wedding ring. Other relatives also are standing by the devoutly religious woman. In many ways, prosecutors are going through the motions. They have ample evidence that Laney killed her children, including stipulations with the defense to that effect. The issue for this jury, which is sequestered, will be whether the defense can meet its legal burden of proving that Laney could not distinguish between right and wrong at the time of the killing. Believes God ordered her to killDefense attorney F. R. "Buck" Files told jurors that Laney loves her husband and children and was devoted to God, church and family. She is a deeply spiritual and private person, who never told anyone about several psychotic episodes that preceded the killings, he said. According to Files, Laney told psychiatrists while she was in custody that she believed God was speaking to her in different ways. On the day of the killings, for example, she believed she received a message from God that he wanted her children with him. Laney told psychiatrists that she rejected a spear or strangulation and decided to use stones to kill her children. Laney believed her son Joshua, the first boy to die, would be resurrected on his birthday that July. Laney wasn't sure if she was supposed to kill Aaron, the youngest, or not. "Aaron is in his bed. The baby is in his bed. I don't think I killed him," Laney told the 911 dispatcher. She told the operator later that she thought she "did wrong by Aaron." The 911 tape is particularly chilling because Laney's voice was even, devoid of emotion, almost childlike. Although many in the courtroom cried as the call was played and the story told by lawyers, jurors remained composed and listened intently. If they conclude Laney's mental condition did not cloud her reasoning to the point that she was legally insane, Laney could face life in prison. If, however, jurors find Laney not guilty by reason of insanity, she would likely be committed to a mental-health facility. The trial is expected to last less than 10 days. Court TV is broadcasting the proceedings. 
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