GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — A suspect who spent about 10 months at a mental health institution is now competent to stand trial in his mother’s death.
The Daily Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/1JULTTh) Chief Mesa County Judge David Bottger ruled Thursday that 32-year-old Daniel Stetzel was competent to be tried for a second-degree murder charge.
An arrest warrant affidavit says Stetzel acknowledged stabbing 54-year-old Kathleen Stetzel with a screwdriver, punching her and strangling her with a bed sheet.
Stetzel has been a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo since November of last year when he was deemed incompetent to stand trial. He will likely appear in court later this month.
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Information from: The Daily Sentinel, http://www.gjsentinel.com
