TERRELL, Texas — The Terrell man accused of shooting to death five people in a five-and-a-half hour killing spree in October 2013 has been ordered to undergo additional mental testing to determine his competency to stand trial.
TERRELL, Texas — The Terrell man accused of shooting to death five people in a five-and-a-half hour killing spree in October 2013 has been ordered to undergo additional mental testing to determine his competency to stand trial.
In July 2015, the court originally considered the suggestion that Charles Brownlow Jr., the man accused in the shootings, was incompetent to stand trial.
“Defendant, and the Court is of the opinion that there is evidence to support a finding of incompetency and the Defendant should be examined as provided by Article 46B.021 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure,” stated an order for examination entered July 9, 2015, and signed by Kaufman County 422nd District Court Judge B. Michael Chitty.
The results of the examinations were presented in court on August 5, 2015, at which point, additional testing was order by the state’s mental health expert. Additionally, the defense is ordering additional testing by a separate expert of their own.
Both the state and defense have until September 10, 2015, to turn over their findings in preparation for a September 14, 2015, voir dire and jury trial on competency. The trial is scheduled for four days.
The results of that trial will determine Brownlow’s competency to stand trial for the shooting deaths of his 61-year-old mother, Mary Brownlow, his 55-year-old aunt, Belinda Young Walker, 30-year-old Kelleye Pratt Sluder, Jason Michael Wooden and 22-year-old Luis Gerardo Leal-Carillo.
Brownlow was captured following a four-hour multi-agency manhunt in Terrell. He stands charged with capital murder by terror threat or other felony, three counts of capital murder, burglary of a habitation intend other felony, evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, and contempt of court/disobedience of court order and is being held at the Kaufman County Jail on bonds totaling $13,601,000.
