Adding to the list of bad excuses

I've heard some insane excuses for why a man would beat a woman- so I've rarely taken back by just how stupid someone expects the rest of us to be when they ramble out some story that would make Baron Münchhausen look like an honest man. But, this one is worth mentioning- just for the fact that it's so- out of this world, or at least out of this life (and into the afterlife).

Willie Leon McCoy is 52. Last year, he was convicted of various charges including aggravated incest, sexual assault on child by someone in a position of trust, and sexual assault on a child, pattern of abuse; after it was alleged that he's sexually abused his 6 year old stepdaughter. McCoy says that as a result of these charges (which he denies) his mental condition spiraled downhill, leading him to drink... a lot. He was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison, which is to be expected of course. But- the interesting defense he gave didn't involve the sexual assault, it was his explanation of why he beat his wife with a baseball bat.

A 52-year-old man convicted of sexually assaulting his stepdaughter and beating his wife with a baseball bat because he thought she was a ghost was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison.

A ghost? Seriously? Do the rest of us look that damn stupid?