Omaha, NE: Man who killed wife found insane

By Jason Kuiper
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER


A man who stabbed his wife to death in 2008 has been found not responsible by reason of insanity.
Robert T. Hollister, who had been charged with first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, will have a commitment hearing once the judge in the case receives a report from the Lincoln Regional Center.
Hollister, now at the Douglas County Jail, is expected to be committed to the Regional Center. Doctors would review his mental status annually.
Douglas County District Judge Marlon Polk issued his ruling last week after a brief trial. Doctors for both the defense and prosecution concluded that Hollister was insane at the time of the crime.
On Nov. 3, Hollister called 911 to report that his wife, Jeanie “Ellie” Hollister, was dead and that a knife was lying beside her in their home, 4705 N. 111th Circle.
Detectives found evidence that Ellie Hollister, 52, tried to fight off her husband, including scratch marks on Robert Hollister's face. Hollister told Regional Center doctors that he had memory lapses related to the stabbing.
Ellie Hollister's daughter, Leah Roberts-Denomme, said Wednesday that she doesn't “understand what happened that day or why. I guess that is between God and Robert. I hope he was ... truly insane because I never really believed in the insanity plea before all this took place, I'm not even sure I do now.”
The initial Regional Center report by psychiatrist Klaus Hartmann and psychologist Mario Scalora said Hollister, 60, had been battling depression for several months before the death of his wife.
Hollister, who has no criminal record, has a master's degree in human resources and worked at Omaha Bedding Co. from 1994 to 2007. He then worked at his wife's vintage clothing store, Weird Wild Stuff, from 2007 until the time of her death.
The report said Hollister began experiencing symptoms of depression, including severe insomnia, in the summer of 2008. Financial stress, health problems and a relative's purported involvement with a cult contributed to his depression, the report says.
Hollister sought help from several medical professionals and was prescribed medicine for depression and insomnia.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1279, jason.kuiper@owh.com