Adacia Chambers' Attorney Discusses Mental Illness

Oklahoma attorney Tony Coleman has spent the past 15 months preparing for the trial against Adacia Chambers.   

He spoke exclusively with News 9 on the eve of her scheduled trial. He said Chambers is mentally ill and both he and her family feel much more needs to be done to help those suffering from mental illness.

“The healthcare system, specifically our mental health care system, it is broken, and something has to be done,” said Coleman. “Too many times - from Miss Chambers' point of view - folks who suffer from mental illness are made to feel less than human. They are ridiculed for it, they are criticized for it. Many can't get employment as a result. And their quality of life is substantially affected simply because of a condition that they have very little control over at all as to how the acquired it.”

Coleman has covered other homicide cases involving mentally ill clients. The Splinter case was one of them, and he said the Adacia Chambers case is no different. He said both shine a spotlight on how important it is to do more to help people who are suffering from mental illness.

“This is something that affects us all,” said Coleman. “And we should not sit back and wait until another Stillwater happens before we take action.”

Coleman said the mental health care system in Oklahoma is broken and that his client Chambers and many others are just some of the casualties. 

“What's the Oklahoma response to mental illness? How do we rally together and address this issue so it doesn't happen again?” Coleman asked.

Coleman said Chambers' father told him they tried to get her help on multiple occasions.

“He had on several occasions taken Adacia to several mental health facilities throughout the state, throughout the region where they lived,” said Coleman. “And in many instances, they either misdiagnosed her, or had given her the wrong medication that had an adverse effect. Sometimes they outright refused to see them.”

Chambers faces four counts of second-degree murder and more than 40 other felony counts after she drove her car into a crowd watching the OSU homecoming parade back in October 2015.

Coleman confirmed a plea is being considered in her case, the terms of which will not be disclosed until Tuesday in court.