N.Y. Man Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity in Father's Murder at Ireland Hotel

John McGowan, 66, of Connecticut, flew to Ireland in 2024 to try to help his son, Henry McGowan, who psychiatrists testified was in the midst of a psychotic break at the time

NEED TO KNOW

• Henry McGowan, 31, of Brooklyn, was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2024 murder of his father, John McGowan, 66
• John flew to Ireland to help Henry when he was in the throes of a mental health crisis
• Henry admitted to strangling his father, who was killed before he could bring his son to a hospital

A New York man was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2024 slaying of his 66-year-old father at a hotel in Ireland.

Henry McGowan, 31, of Brooklyn, learned his fate on Thursday, Feb. 12, when an Irish jury handed down its verdict after deliberating for an hour and 23 minutes, The New York Times reported. 

Henry had pleaded not guilty to the murder of his father by reason of insanity. 

During his trial, two psychiatrists testified that Henry was suffering from schizoaffective disorder when he killed his father, John McGowan, a financier from Ridgefield, Conn., at the Ballyfin Demesne Hotel in County Laois on Nov. 12, 2024, according to The Irish Times.

The New York Times reported that the psychiatrists said they believed Henry was having a psychotic break at the time of the killing.

Henry, who testified that he thought he was a prophet or a superhero and was killing an impostor — not his father, will be remanded to Central Mental Hospital in Dublin, where he had already been undergoing treatment, according to the outlet.

While on the stand during trial, Henry claimed that he strangled his father with his bare hands, telling him he would “always love him as he had his last breath,” The Irish Times reported.

Henry's defense attorney Michael Bowman called the case “particularly tragic,” saying John's fatherly instinct led him to put his son’s well-being ahead of his own — with “fatal consequences,” per the outlet.

Related: New York Man, 30, Charged with Murdering His Own Father at Luxury Irish Resort: Reports

Prosecutor Brendan Grehan agreed, saying John flew to Ireland to help his son “without even stopping to drop a bag,” according to The Irish Times.

Henry's struggle with mental health issues began when he was in his mid-twenties, The New York Times reported.

In 2023, before taking part in the New York City Marathon, he opened up about his diagnosis in a fundraising post he wrote to benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

“As some of you know, I had a manic episode in January 2022 and was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type I,” he wrote in the post. “A little over a year ago, I was released from the hospital and began the process of reconnecting with reality, my dear friends and family, and eventually my work and hobbies.”

He ran the 2023 New York Marathon and raised over $10,000 for the organization.

But then, in the fall of 2024, Henry began having another mental health crisis, this time while in Europe.

A friend of Henry McGowan’s told his family that Henry had begun acting erratically while in London, per The New York Times.

Henry, who was heading to Dublin, called his family telling them he had gone off of his medication.

Knowing his son needed immediate help, John booked an overnight flight to Dublin, his family told the outlet.

After landing in Ireland, John learned that Henry was at a local hospital where he was trying to get admitted because of his racing and intrusive thoughts, The New York Times reported.

The hospital said it wanted to admit Henry but didn’t have a bed available at that time, per the outlet.

Told to go to another hospital in the morning, the father and son ended up staying at the $1,200 a night Ballyfin Demesne Hotel that Henry had already booked.

John told Dr. Lisa Cunningham, an Ireland-based doctor who was helping the family find help for Henry, that he would stay up all night and keep an eye on him until he could get his son to a hospital.

Concerned that Henry was in the throes of a manic episode in which he could hurt himself or others, Cunningham made more calls and was able to find a hospital close to the hotel that would admit him, The New York Times reported.

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Henry’s family in the U.S. tried calling John to inform him about the new plan, but he did not answer the phone.

Soon after, the family learned there had been a fatal incident at the hotel.

One of John's children texted Dr. Cunningham a link to a story about the incident and wrote, “Henry killed our dad," according to The New York Times.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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