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Mental health questions delay trial

Longview News-Journal - 10/14/2017

The mental competency of a man accused in the fatal stabbings of two people almost fours years ago at a Longview hospital again has led to a delay in his trial, with Kyron Templeton's attorneys saying they need more time because the case is "extremely complex."

Templeton's trial had been slated to start Monday. District Judge Alfonso Charles granted a continuance in the case, and a docket hearing has been scheduled Dec. 8.

Templeton, 26, was found to be mentally incompetent in August, and his defense attorneys said they need more time to get their client mentally competent so they can discuss the case with him and to ready the large amount of evidence, witnesses and mental health experts for the trial.

"As it stands, trial is set for Oct. 16," attorney Jason Cassel wrote in a motion earlier this month to Charles. "Counsel does not see any conceivable way that trial can begin on that day."

Templeton is charged with capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after police said he fatally stabbed nurse Gail Sandidge, 57, and visitor Harris Teel, 82, at the Good Shepherd Medical Center Ambulatory Surgical Center just before 7 a.m.Nov. 26, 2013.

He also is accused of attacking nurse Karen Bobo and visitors Teresa Allison and Melissa Simms.

Police said Templeton had been at the hospital for his mother's surgery that morning, and he told an officer that "they" were trying to kill his mother.

He remains in the Gregg County Jail on $2.5 million bond.

Court records show Templeton's attorneys have indicated they intend to present an insanity defense at the trial, but many documents related to the case remain sealed, and the prosecution and defense are under a gag order that prohibits them from discussing the matter in order to minimize pretrial publicity before a jury is seated.

The documents that are public show Templeton's mental health has been in question several times after his arrest, with his attorneys noting at times he has failed to take necessary medication and at one point asked jail officials to stop providing it to him.

It was during an April 7 court hearing that Templeton fired his court-appointed attorneys and told Charles that his new lawyer was "David Beckham" - with lawyers noting he apparently was referencing the famous soccer player as Templeton could not provide further details about a lawyer with that name.

At that time, he was found competent to stand trial after Charles ordered him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

However, Templeton was evaluated again over the summer, and he was ruled in August to be mentally incompetent.

Texas law requires that Templeton must be found mentally competent before the trial can begin, but Cassel noted in his motion that Templeton has yet to be committed to a mental health institution for treatment.

Templeton's lawyers also have said they need more time to ready the case for trial, noting earlier this year that DNA evidence had been held up for years in testing. It was returned in July 2016.

Attorneys also have not been able to discuss the case with Templeton for more than 10 months because he is not mentally fit enough to understand what is going on, records show.

"This case is unusual due to the large number of witnesses and extremely complex due to the volume of mental health testimony that is anticipated," Cassel wrote. "This volume of mental evidence has only increased since the finding of incompetency. Counsel would need additional time to review this information, provide it to their experts and determine if there are any new witnesses that need to be secured."

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