Woman Claims "Voices Commanded Her to Kill" in Shocking Confession After Macy's Bathroom Stabbing

A homeless woman facing attempted murder charges after stabbing a California mother has revealed in a disturbing jailhouse confession that voices in her head commanded her to commit the violent act. Kerri Aherne, currently detained at the Rose M. Singer Centre on Rikers Island, still had blood traces under her fingernails during a recent interview.

Speaking to the New York Post, the 43-year-old former home health aide detailed how she felt compelled to travel to Macy's department store with the specific intention of harming someone. Aherne explained that she believed these commands were coming from voices in her head that she could not ignore.

Aherne disclosed that she took a green taxi from her temporary residence at the Manhattan Psychiatric Centre to Macy's, using a portion of $150 provided by a social worker. Upon arrival, she purchased a foot-long kitchen knife from the store's 8th floor. She had reportedly spent just one day at the psychiatric housing facility before deciding to leave.

"The voice said, 'Kill someone in the bathroom or you will die,'" Aherne recounted about the moments before the attack.

Following these perceived instructions, Aherne entered a bathroom where she encountered a woman changing a baby's diaper. She attacked the mother from behind with the newly purchased knife. The victim screamed for help and pleaded for someone to call emergency services. Bystanders quickly responded to assist the wounded woman.

When police apprehended Aherne and informed her she was being taken to jail, she expressed relief: "I don't want to go back to the hospital. I'm scared of the hospital."

Aherne reportedly has experienced auditory hallucinations since childhood, beginning around age six. She now faces multiple charges including attempted murder, assault, child endangerment, and weapons possession.

"I am being tortured by the government. They put words into my head. They told me that I had to kill or they would kill me," she claimed during the interview.

According to authorities, the baby was unharmed in the incident, and the mother successfully defended herself until help arrived. Reports indicate Aherne had been recently discharged from a psychiatric facility prior to the attack. Court documents reveal a prior arrest in Massachusetts in 2018 for making online threats, including statements about harming Senator Elizabeth Warren and plans to target a police station.

While expressing concern about the victim's condition and her baby's welfare, Aherne deflected personal responsibility, suggesting the government was to blame rather than herself.

Aherne described being hospitalized in Massachusetts for two years, an experience she characterized as traumatic. After her release, believing men were plotting against her, she secretly paid $530 for an Uber to New York City without informing her family. The circumstances surrounding her subsequent admission to the Manhattan Psychiatric Center remain unclear.

Medical professionals reportedly diagnosed Aherne with schizoaffective disorder, a condition combining symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorders. Despite this diagnosis, she maintains she doesn't believe she actually has this condition. Her treatment reportedly includes four medications, including antipsychotics and Prozac, administered twice daily with one by injection.

According to Aherne, she was discharged from the Manhattan facility on December 11 and received her medication that morning. However, she claims she received no further doses after returning to transitional housing that night or the following day.

Aherne also made bizarre allegations about a government device buried in Russia that transmits voices into her head, threatening her life and urging her to harm others. Despite her current circumstances, she expressed a desire to remain in New York once the voices cease.