LLMCritical
ChatGPT Use Was Reportedly Cited in Delusional State Before Homicide and Assault in Readfield, Maine
- Occurred
- Feb 19, 2025
- Published
- Oct 17, 2025
- Source
- AI Incident Database
Summary
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.
Developers
- OpenAI
Deployers
- Samuel Whittemore
- OpenAI
Harmed parties
- Margaux Whittemore
- Dorothy Whittemore
- Domestic violence victims
Classification
Category confidence: 85%
Severity confidence: 90%
Rationale: ChatGPT use cited in delusional state preceding homicide and assault, though direct causal link not established.
Classifier: Qwen/Qwen3.5-35B-A3B-FP8