In November, 57-year-old Robert Lewis Dear killed three people in a shooting at a Colorado Planned Parenthood. Now, a judge has said that Dear is not competent to stand trial for this crime.
According to the Denver Post, Fourth Judicial District Chief Judge Gilbert Martinez declared Dear unfit to stand trial, and put the case on hold while he seeks treatment. Judge Martinez made this decision based on the testimony of two state psychologists. Prosecutors said that they “lacked neutrality and failed to tease out critical information from Dear before they determined he was not competent.”
The two psychologists said that Dear had a “delusional disorder they say is centered on a 22-year-old belief that federal agents are out to kill him.” As a result, Dear has been unable to cooperate with his lawyers, or understand his case. The suspected shooter has also interrupted various court proceedings, shouting at one hearing, “I am guilty, there’s no trial. I am a warrior for the babies!”
As he left this hearing, Dear shouted at Judge Martinez, “That’s called prejudiced! Prejudiced! Filthy animal!”
Martinez had previously ordered Dear to undergo a mental evaluation at the behest of the suspected shooter’s lawyer, according to CNN.
(Via Denver Post and CNN)