2017-11-17 Howerter

Accused murderer committed to mental facility | KVII

Excerpt

A judge ordered a 46-year-old man to be committed to a hospital after an examination found he was incompetent to stand trial for his father's murder.Robert Howerter was charged with the murder of 69-year-old Ricky Lee Howerter in October and underwent an


Accused murder committed to mental facility.

Accused murder committed to mental facility.

AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — A judge ordered a 46-year-old man to be committed to a hospital after an examination found he was incompetent to stand trial for his father's murder.

Robert Howerter was charged with the murder of 69-year-old Ricky Lee Howerter in October and underwent an evaluation on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Son charged in father's murder undergoing mental evaluation

According to court documents, the assistant district attorney and Howerter's defense attorney both agreed he was incompetent to stand trial.

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He was taken into the custody of the Texas Department of State Health Services and was ordered to be committed as a patient for observation and/or treatment to a state hospital, mental health facility or residential care facility for 120 days.