Reardon Not Guilty of Robbery Due to Insanity
Former Pitcher Held Up Jewelry Store in December
AP
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 28) - Former Major League relief pitcher Jeff Reardon was found not guilty by reason of insanity Monday for robbing a jewelry store in December.


Two court-appointed psychiatrists, along with two defense psychiatrists, testified that Reardon, 50, was under the influence of a dozen prescription medications and that there was no reasonable explanation for the robbery.

The medications reacted and caused Reardon to exhibit emotionally unstable, hostile and manic behavior, his defense attorney, Mitch Beers, said.

"He did not know what he was doing," Beers said. "He was very, very depressed and very suicidal. The medications caused him to be delirious and to hallucinate."

Reardon, who played in two World Series, was taking antidepressants and mood stabilizers because he was distraught over the 2004 drug-overdose death of his 20-year-old son, his attorneys said.

After Judge Stephen Rapp's ruling was announced on Monday, Reardon said he was relieved and that he had been worried about going to jail.

"I don't think I've ever had a speeding ticket before for crying out loud," Reardon said.

Reardon walked into Hamilton Jewelers in Palm Beach Gardens and handed an employee a note saying he had a gun and the store was being robbed. He fled with an undisclosed amount of money.

Reardon, who retired in 1994 and ranks sixth in career saves and made more than $11.5 million during his career, according to baseballreference.com. His attorneys said he was not having financial problems.