A homeless man with a history of psychiatric illness has been found mentally able to stand trial on charges of fatally beating an 80-year-old woman at her south 色多多 condominium.
The finding was made after a psychologist evaluated Kurt James Davis, according to Assistant Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney John McNeil.
Davis, 35, had been scheduled to go on trial Tuesday in 色多多 Circuit Court. A new date of Sept. 3 and 4 has now been set.
In a motion filed in March, Assistant Public Defender Ryan Vaughn wrote that Davis has a medical history that raised concerns about his competency, or the ability to understand the proceedings and assist with his defense.
Although the case will now move forward, a second evaluation is being conducted to determine if the defendant was legally insane at the time of the Feb. 19 killing of Susan B. Williams.
After being assaulted inside the building in the 2100 block of Yellow Mountain Road, she was dragged outside and struck several times in the head with a rock, according to court records.
In the hours before the attack, Davis was seen hanging out in a smoking area outside of Carilion 色多多 Memorial Hospital, which is across the street from Williams鈥 home. Surveillance from security cameras shows him arriving at the condominium building, known as The Fairfax, at 4:27 a.m.
Authorities have said Davis first encountered Williams inside the building. At about 5:13 a.m., someone called 911 to report hearing a woman screaming. When police arrived, they found Williams lying on the ground outside, with significant head wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Davis, whose address is listed in court records as 鈥渢ransient,鈥 was apprehended in the area s short time later, with blood on his hands and clothing. An arrest warrant states that he told police he killed Williams to 鈥渒eep the peace.鈥
