GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – James Thompson, a 22-year-old man from Elyria, Ohio, who is accused of a fatal stabbing on Interstate 80, plans to assert an insanity defense during his trial. This decision comes despite a ruling on October 1 that deemed him competent to stand trial.
Thompson faces 11 felony charges related to a double stabbing that occurred at the South Locust exit westbound rest stop in June. The charges include murder, attempted murder, assault, evading arrest, two counts of attempted robbery, and five counts of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.
The victim, 72-year-old Gary Weaver from Eureka, Missouri, was fatally stabbed while he and his wife were at the rest area.
Following an evaluation at the Lincoln Regional Center this summer, Hall County Judge Art Wetzel found Thompson competent and subsequently moved the case to Hall County District Court for potential trial. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
Under Nebraska law, defendants can claim insanity if they can demonstrate that they had a mental illness at the time of the crime and did not understand its consequences. The law also permits the trial judge to order additional examinations if deemed necessary. As of Monday, there has been no record of the presiding judge ordering such an evaluation.
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