Dean Ripa, a 60-year-old male from Wilmington, NC, was tragically killed on May 13, 2017. Dean Ripa was the owner of the Cape Fear Serpentarium, a well-known snake zoo in the area. On the day of his death, Dean Ripa was shot multiple times, including three times in the head, in the upstairs living quarters of the Serpentarium. His wife, Regina Ripa, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with his death.
Regina Ripa, a 42-year-old female, was found not guilty by reason of insanity in October 2018. She had a history of mental illness, including diagnoses of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. On the day of the shooting, Regina Ripa called 911, claiming her husband was attacking her. Dean Ripa also called 911, stating that his wife was "insane." When police arrived at the scene, they found Dean Ripa with a gunshot wound to his head, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Regina Ripa's defense presented a history of psychological health issues, including a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia by age 20. She had experienced multiple psychotic episodes throughout her life, often triggered by not taking her medication. In 2014, she was involuntarily committed by her husband in a catatonic state. In 2016, she was again involuntarily committed. On the day of the shooting, Regina Ripa was in the middle of a psychotic episode. Six days after the shooting, while evaluated in detention, she had no idea where she was or what had happened, and she asked where her husband was.
The case was a stark reminder of the impact of mental illness and domestic violence. Regina Ripa was transferred to a state-run psychiatric facility, where she will likely spend years. If doctors determine that she is able to tell the difference between right and wrong, she could be released in the future. The Cape Fear Serpentarium announced its permanent closure in May 2018, following a year of tangled legal proceedings.
