NEW ORLEANS — One of the four teens accused in the violent death of Linda Frickey has been deemed not competent to stand trial. The judge ordered the young woman to be admitted to a mental health facility.
Eyewitness News spoke to two legal experts to understand what this means and what will happen going forward.
Of the four defendants, 16-year-old Lenyra Theophile has been deemed incompetent to stand trial and will spend 60 days in a mental health facility.
Loyola University legal expert Dane Ciolino says being deemed “incompetent” means Theophile, at this point in time, cannot help her attorneys with the fact-finding process and assist with her defense.
“I would expect in all likelihood after she goes to the state mental hospital and she is placed under the care of psychologists and psychiatrists that her competency will be restored, and she will be returned for the court for trial,” Ciolino said.
Linda Frickey was killed nearly a year ago after she was carjacked and she was dragged from the car for a city block in Mid-City and her arm was severed during the incident.
Now - the case is back in the spotlight - for one Lenyra Theophile’s competency.
Attorney Kenn Barnes says during Theophile’s 60-day stint she will receive treatment to restore her competency.
“What will be done, she’ll be given narcotics/drugs to assist with it, but also there will be therapies the doctor employs,” Barnes said.
Our partners at Nola.com reported that prosecutors argued Theophile did not suffer from intellectual abilities but instead refused to answer the psychiatrists’ questions in an attempt to delay her trial.
According to both experts, after 60 days, she will be re-evaluated and will go through this process at trial again. Now, this could go on for months or years, and if she never gains competency, she could spend the rest of her life in a hospital.
“She could be committed involuntarily to a mental institution for a very long time,” Ciolino said.
The doctors also said in court that Theophile showed signs of depressive symptoms and hopelessness. Both legal experts say the Judge deemed her depressive symptoms abnormal as opposed to anyone else standing trial.
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