CASTLE ROCK — A hearing resumed today to determine whether a man accused of dragging his girlfriend to death behind a car is mentally retarded.
Thirty-seven-year-old Jose Luis Rubi-Nava is charged with murder and kidnapping in the September 2006 death of Luz Maria Franco Fierros near Castle Rock.
An autopsy report said the 49-year-old woman died from strangulation and massive head wounds.
At a hearing in January, a state mental health doctor testified that Rubi-Nava is not mentally retarded, saying he has decent communication skills, follows instructions and can do simple math problems.
But a defense psychologist has said Rubi-Nava is retarded.
If Rubi-Nava is declared mentally retarded, it would prevent prosecutors from seeking the death penalty.
