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Kirsten Lamb found fit to stand trial for murder of her mother

Kirsten Lamb has been found fit to stand trial for the murder of her mother.

After little more than an hour of deliberations, the jury of seven men and five women reached a unanimous verdict.

When the decision was read in court, Lamb smiled in the prisoner's box and softly said, "Yes."

The murder trial is set to begin next Tuesday in an Edmonton courtroom, where the same jury will hear evidence in the case.

Lamb, 32, is charged with second-degree murder in the November 2010 death of her mother, Sandra Lamb.

Even though Sandra Lamb was killed more than five years ago, this will be the first time details surrounding the crime will be made public. For the rest of this week, the Crown, defence and the judge will deal with procedural issues.

A January 2015 psychiatric report was entered as evidence at the fitness hearing and copies were provided to the jury.

Troubled history with mother

It reveals a troubled history between the accused and her mother and states the accused was reportedly abandoned by her mother when she was only four years old.

"Ms. Lamb describes a long history of acrimony between her and Sandra Lamb, describing Sandra Lamb as being intrusive and hostile toward her and her children in the past, for reasons which are unclear to her."

The accused does not believe her mother is dead. The diagnosed schizophrenic also refuses to believe she has a psychiatric illness.

During closing arguments at the fitness hearing, Lamb's defence lawyer, Mona Duckett, told court her client has the mental capacity to go to trial.

On Monday, a forensic psychiatrist and a psychologist both testified they now believe Lamb is fit to stand trial.

Previous jury found Lamb unfit

In September 2014, a different jury found her unfit. At the time, Lamb was seven-months pregnant and refused to take any medication.

The psychiatric report reveals Lamb gave birth in November 2014 to a healthy baby boy who was immediately apprehended by Children and Family Services. An application has been made for his permanent guardianship.

Lamb is also the mother of three daughters. According to the report, she once placed a voodoo doll in front of her daughter's room and on another occasion she shaved half of one daughter's head and told her children "she had to lie down to get the demons out".

Lamb also encountered trouble during her three years in custody at the Edmonton Remand Centre before she was transferred to Alberta Hospital.

The report states she was charged twice with assault and in one of those incidents she believed another inmate "was sending negative energy directed at her children through telepathy".

Both mental health professionals who assessed Lamb admit she still suffers from delusions to a lesser degree, even though she is taking anti-psychotic medication.

Those delusions include the belief she was accepted into a university dental program, that she had opened several Best Buy stores in Edmonton and that she had a romantic relationship with the former crown prosecutor assigned to her case.

janice.johnston@cbc.ca

@cbcjanjohnston