CENTENNIAL, Colo.—Attorneys for a 24-year-old Centennial man accused of poisoning and dismembering his mother say they are not required to disclose all of his medical records, including records of meetings with doctors that prosecutors say could show the defendant had access to medical help.
Ari Liggett faces one count of first-degree murder in the death of 56-year-old Beverly Liggett. Greenwood Village police officers say they found Ari Liggett in October driving around with his mother’s remains in the back of an SUV.
Liggett pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and a judge ordered Liggett to undergo a mental health evaluation at the Arapahoe County Jail where he is being held, the Denver Post reported Thursday ().
On Wednesday, Liggett’s attorney, public defender Jennifer Ahnstedt, responded to a motion from prosecutors asking defense attorneys to provide additional medical records to the mental health evaluator completing an independent report on Liggett.
Ahnstedt said information about doctors who treated Liggett for unrelated physical ailments are not relevant, including details about a doctor who treated Liggett for strep throat. She argued that defense attorneys provided a full list of physicians and psychologists relevant to the report
Prosecutors argued that information showing Liggett’s ability to contact doctors may be relevant to his mental condition.
The judge did not rule on the issue and instead will issue a written ruling.
Months before Liggett entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, he underwent an evaluation at the Colorado State Mental Hospital in Pueblo to determine if he was competent to stand trial.
That report, which was released in February, found that Liggett was competent to continue to trial.
According to an arrest report, Liggett is accused of killing his mother after she removed him from her will.
Liggett told police he found his mother dead on the floor of their Centennial home. He said she committed suicide. Liggett told officers he panicked and tried to put her body in a freezer before putting her in the vehicle.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
