Macy's Stabbing Suspect Claims She's Hearing Voices: 'Kill Someone in the Bathroom or You Will Die'

Kerri Aherne, the woman accused of stabbing a mother in a Macy's Herald Square restroom, has claimed in a jailhouse interview that she was acting on orders from 'voices' in her head that threatened to kill her if she did not comply.

The 43-year-old, who faces charges of attempted murder, described a terrifying internal monologue that she alleges is part of a government torture campaign. This narrative will likely form the basis of her legal defence.

The Rikers Island Interview

With blood still visible under her fingernails, Aherne recounted the harrowing instructions she believes she received before entering Macy's.

'It said that I had to go to Macy's and kill someone,' Aherne explained from the visitor's centre. 'The voice said, "Kill someone in the bathroom, or you will die."'

These auditory hallucinations are not new to her, she insisted, stating she has heard them since she was six years old. However, she alleges a more sinister origin for the commands that led to her arrest.

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

Suspect Bought Weapon Moments Before Attack

The sequence of events described by Aherne reveals a disturbing lapse in the system meant to support her. On the morning of the attack, she departed a transitional housing unit at the Manhattan Psychiatric Centre.

She travelled to the department store in a green cab, armed with cash provided by a social worker. Aherne stated she used £114 ($150) of that money to purchase a smooth, foot-long kitchen knife on the store's 8th floor.

After acquiring the weapon, she descended to the 7th floor, where she encountered her victim. 'I stabbed her in the back,' Aherne confessed, recalling the moment she found the woman changing a baby.

Victim Fought Back to Save Infant

The attack occurred around 3:10 p.m. on Thursday inside the busy restroom. The victim, a 38-year-old tourist from California, had taken her 10-month-old daughter there for a nappy change when Aherne struck.

Despite being stabbed, the mother managed to protect her child and fight off the assailant. 'The victim began screaming for help,' Aherne recalled. 'She was screaming for someone to call 911.'

Authorities confirmed that the mother was able to fight off her attacker before help arrived, ensuring her baby was not physically harmed during the frenzy. Aherne described the aftermath of the struggle, noting she was covered in blood.'

Legal Battle and Government Blame

Aherne now faces a litany of serious charges, including attempted murder, assault, child endangerment, and weapons possession. Yet, in her view, the culpability lies elsewhere.

'I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want to kill anyone,' she said. 'It's not me. It's the government's fault. They are telling me to do it, and that's why I want to sue them.'

As prosecutors build their case, the interview sheds light on the suspect's troubled state of mind following the incident. She remains held at Rikers Island as the legal proceedings commence.