Billy Craig Jr. Charles Logsdon
After Judge Joe McCarville granted a defense request for a suspect in a Hutchinson murder case be given a mental exam, the results of that exam were released Tuesday afternoon.
After his exam at Horizon’s Mental Health facility, the examiners determined that 48-year-old Billy Craig Jr., is competent to stand trial. Judge Joe McCarville stated in court that they found there was substantial factual basis to find that Craig understands the nature of the charges and the possible penalties.
His attorney, Donald Snapp had asked back in November that the court grant a mental evaluation to determine if Craig is competent for the case to continue. Judge McCarville then agreed to the exam, but ordered it be done by Horizon’s, as opposed to the defense request to have Dr. Mark Goodman do it. The judge also decided against sending him to Larned because of the difference in cost, which is about 250-dollars at Horizon’s compared with what the judge says is 40-thousand dollars at Larned.
With the ruling Tuesday, that means the preliminary hearing for Craig and co-defendant, 32-year-old Charles Logsdon, currently set for February 6 through the 10, 2012 will go as scheduled. Craig also has a separate drug case, and computer crime case pending with the court as well. He will also be deemed competent for those cases to proceed as well.
He and and Logsdon are charged with first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges coming from the shooting death of 27-year-old Jennifer Heckel. She was killed in her home at 501 Coronado back on June 14. Prosecutors say it appears she was a victim of mistaken identity.
The state is seeking a hard-50 sentence for Craig and Logsdon, if they’re convicted in the murder case.
Magistrate Judge Randy McEwen also set a preliminary hearing date for Logsdon in a separate matter for January 18. He faces a charge of aggravated battery for an alleged incident where he got into an altercation with Eric Harbacek. He’s alleged to have cause great bodily harm or disfigurement according to the criminal complaint. This allegedly occurring on November 26, 2010.