The family of the late Helen Harrion continues to wait for justice to be served upon her accused killer as the case continues to drag along in the Hinds County criminal justice system. Alonzo Stewart was indicted for her murder but the case has not yet gone to trial as his lawyer pursues an insanity defense.
The mother of six was killed in 2014 after she called 911 at 2:23 AM. The police came to her home eight minutes later but left when no one answered the door. She was shot to death in her home. JPD arrested Stewart for her murder. The 19 year-old Stewart cut her grass and lived down the street from her.
A Hinds County grand jury indicted Alonzo Stewart for capital murder for the death of the 67 year-old Ms. Harrion on July 15, 2014. The grand jury also indicted him for house burglary as well.* The indictment also charges him with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was convicted of cocaine possession in 2010. The case is assigned to Circuit Judge William Gowan.
Stewart's attorney filed a motion for a mental evaluation in February 2015. Judge Gowan ordered Stewart to undergo a mental evaluation at Whitfield:
It is the finding of this Court that the defendant, ALONZO STEWART currently lacks the capacity to confer with his attorney with a reasonable degree ofrational understanding, that he does not have a factual and rational understanding ofthe nature and object of the legal proceedings against him, that he does not understand the charge against him and the possible penalty he could receive if convicted, and further that he is therefore not competent to stand trial in this matter.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that the defendant having been found to be incompetent to stand trial in this matter, pursuant to Rule 9.06 of the Mississippi Uniform Rules of Circuit and County Court, ALONZO STEWART is committed to custody of the Mississippi State Hospital at Whitfield to be examined and a written report to be furnished to the Court every four calendar months.....
A. Whether there is a substantial probability that the defendant will become mentally competent to stand trial within the foreseeable future ; andJudge Gowan ordered Mr. Buchanan to provide more information about his client in a May 2016 order. There is nothing more posted in the case but for an order granting the awarding of attorney's fees. However, his stay at Whitfield must be done because he is back at the Raymond Detention Center:
B. Whether progress toward that goal is being made.
*The grand jury also indicted him for two other crimes. He was indicted for attempted house burglary with the intent to commit sexual battery on July 21, 2014. The indictment states he failed because her husband was present.
7 comments:
The thing is I dont think he is the person who committed this crime. the best way to "clean up" a botched planned crime is to frame a mentally insane person to be the fall guy,whose going to believe anything they have too say? oldest trick in the book. I think its DEEPER than whats being reported.
19 years old? Hard living....
He's 32 now. Rapidly aging.
Whitfield routinely ignores court orders and returns "patients" to the county jails because they don't have enough beds to accommodate the number of persons claiming to be insane.
He's been declared to be incompetent, so there won't be a trial unless Whitfield treats him and restores him to being competent. That is not likely.
Because you have posted a photograph of Mr. Stewart that is his Detention Center booking photograph, you have access to the jail website, which shows he has never been out to the State Hospital. His booking date is July 22,2014 and there have been no releases since that date.
Based on the jail records, it is likely that he is still sitting in the Raymond Detention Center because there are no beds available at Whitfield for the forensic evaluations. The general wait, to no fault of the State Hospital, can be up to three years, just to get out there for an evaluation. There is nothing the Court or MSH can do to speed up that process until the legislature funds more beds for the forensic unit.
The police came to her door but left when no one answered? Have we missed some major points here or what. I would like to think that if I called the police and they came to my door and no one answered they would then do further investigation and stay. Like, calling me again, looking into my windows, breaking down my front door, etc. Helloooooooo...
There should be an indictment of the responding police officers for derelication of duty!
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