Man facing charges in murder of Clermont County deputy claims he's mentally ill

BATAVIA, Ohio (WKRC) - The 23-year-old man charged with murdering a sheriff's deputy during a standoff appeared to change dramatically in the last six years. Wade Winn faces a charge of aggravated murder in the death of Det. Bill Brewer, 42. Brewer was a member of Clermont County's Special Response Team and went to Winn's apartment Saturday night after he called to report someone was trying to break in. Brewer and Lt. Nick DeRose went into Winn's apartment after believing he committed suicide. Winn's attorney said he suffered from unchecked mental illness. "The Clermont County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office does not exist. The Clermont County Sheriff's Office does not exist," Winn said on Instagram live during the standoff. Winn's appearance on the Instagram live feed was startlingly different than how he appeared in November 2012. Local 12 spoke with him when his band performed on "Bengals Nation." He was slightly heavier and articulate. "We just won the Battle of the Bands at the Taste of Clermont, and we just went into the studio thanks to Bongo Tree Studios, and we recorded seven songs, I think," Winn said at the time. Winn's attorney has said he was not taking medication at the time of Saturday night's standoff and that he has mental health issues that had gone unchecked. Psychologist Stuart Bassman said people charged with crimes often claim they have mental health problems. "One can be compassionate and still hold one to, really, a sense of accountability for what they have done," Bassman said. Bassman has never examined Winn and wouldn't comment on what illness he may have, but he said having a mental health condition does not absolve someone of wrongdoing. "One of the things anyone with mental health issues really needs to be aware of is it is their responsibility to seek assistance, to take their medications and, in a sense, recognize their limitations," Bassman said. Winn's attorney, Jay Clark, said he had been hospitalized in the past for mental illness. But, he hasn't yet obtained his medical records. Winn pleaded no contest in 2018 to possession of marijuana. He can be seen on Instagram vaping something, but it's not clear what from the video.