Autistic son charged in professor's death

[Calvin]

KENT, Ohio - Murder charges have been filed against the 18-year-old autistic son of a Kent State University professor who was beaten in her home and later died.

According to court records, a grand jury indicted Sky Walker on Friday on two counts of murder and one count of assault on a law enforcement officer.

Walker's mother, Gertrude "Trudy" Steuernagel, died Feb. 6, a week after she was severely injured in the beating. Friends have said she was devoted to caring for her son.

Court records show prosecutors are waiting for results of an evaluation to determine whether Walker is competent to stand trial.

Walker has been held at the Portage County Jail in lieu of a $2 million bond since the Jan. 29 attack.

Autistic son charged in professor's death

I've never heard of autistic person have been charged in the murder.

 

[~SG~]

Ouch, I have never heard of autistic person have been filed for murder charge.

 

[Steel X]

*shrugs* it's possible.

I've seen and heard of some autistic people who can be violent. Usually when their demands are not met or whatever. It would be related to a high level of stress or something.

 

[Jolie77]

Interesting. I, too, find it is a first time that I've heard of an autistic person being held for a murder charge.

The prosecutors/defending lawyers will have to find a way to see if he is competent to stand trial.

Since the news article did not provide a lot of details to this story, I have to wonder if there was something that possibly triggered the autistic son to blow it out in result of his mother's death?

If the autistic guy is actually convicted for the murder charge - I'd hope that they consider putting him in the mental ward with a lot of extensive counseling or some kind of help to go along with it.

 

[Babyblue]

Interesting. I, too, find it is a first time that I've heard of an autistic person being held for a murder charge.

The prosecutors/defending lawyers will have to find a way to see if he is competent to stand trial.

Since the news article did not provide a lot of details to this story, I have to wonder if there was something that possibly triggered the autistic son to blow it out in result of his mother's death?

If the autistic guy is actually convicted for the murder charge - I'd hope that they consider putting him in the mental ward with a lot of extensive counseling or some kind of help to go along with it.

I highly doubt the charges will stick.


They may place him in a Facility. Not in prison.

 

[Jolie77]

I highly doubt the charges will stick.


They may place him in a Facility. Not in prison.

Maybe, Maybe not. We don't know if the charges will be able to stick or not.

They will need to find a hard cold evidence to make sure the charges sticks.

Again, His autism is a big issue in this case. It's also possible that they may rescind this by noting he's not guilty by insanity.

Who knows?

 

[Calvin]

The autistic teenager initially charged with attempted murder in connection with the death of his mother, a Kent State University professor, is now facing murder charges.
A Portage County grand jury has returned an amended indictment for 18-year-old Sky A. Walker, charging him with two counts of murder. Walker initially was charged with attempted murder after Portage County Sheriff's Office deputies found his mother, Gertrude "Trudy" Steuernagel, beaten in her Franklin Township home Jan. 29.
Steuernagel died Feb. 6. Her death prompted the reconsideration of the attempted murder charges and their eventual amendment to murder, an unclassified felony, by the grand jury. The amended indictment with the new charges was filed Friday, according to court records.
The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office has not yet determined Steuernagel's cause of death, but an autopsy report showed evidence of bruises around her head and chest.
According to court documents, the amended indictment charges Walker "did purposely cause the death" of his mother. The indictment lists two counts of murder and one count of assault on a law enforcement officer. Walker allegedly kicked an officer in the head during his arrest.
This week the Portage County Probate Court ruled Walker, who is being held on a $2 million bond at the Portage County jail, is not competent enough to make day-to-day living decisions.
Portage County Probate Judge Thomas Carnes appointed a Ravenna attorney as Walker's guardian Monday and ruled Walker is not competent enough to manage his life. But, Carnes said the probate court competency determination is different from the criminal competency legal definition and will have no bearing on whether Walker is found competent enough to stand trial for murder.
"The word is the same, the meaning is different," Carnes said. "This determination in probate court has to do with whether or not he can make day-to-day living decisions and financial decisions. There was a determination that he could not do that. It has nothing to do with his competency to stand trial or his potential criminal responsibility in the criminal case."
When reached Tuesday, Ravenna attorney Deron Boring confirmed he has been appointed as Walker's guardian but declined to comment further.
Carnes said Boring's appointment essentially makes him responsible for legal, financial, health and other personal decisions as Walker's guardian.
"Under the laws of the state of Ohio, the purpose is to have someone who can make day-to-day living decisions for this young man, medical care decisions for this young man and financial decisions for this young man, if there are financial decisions to be made," Carnes said.
Both the Portage County Prosecutor's Office and Walker's attorneys are awaiting the results of his criminal competency and IQ evaluation, which is being conducted by the Summit County Psycho-Diagnostic Clinic in Akron.
Several area health and education agencies were ordered by the courts to release any and all records they hold on Walker to aid in his evaluation. Among them, Kent City Schools, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Portage County Board of Mental Health, Akron Children's Hospital and Dr. Nevada Reed were ordered to release all of Walker's records for the evaluation.
Errol Can, an attorney for Walker, said both sides will meet Thursday before Portage County Common Pleas Court Judge John Enlow to review the results of Walker's competency evaluation.
"We will all be provided an opportunity to review the report," Can said. He declined further comment.
Staff writer Colin McEwen contributed to this story.

Teen faces murder charge Sky Walker is re-indicted in his mother's death

 

[Jolie77]

Thanks for adding more information to this, Calvin.

This week the Portage County Probate Court ruled Walker, who is being held on a $2 million bond at the Portage County jail, is not competent enough to make day-to-day living decisions.

"Under the laws of the state of Ohio, the purpose is to have someone who can make day-to-day living decisions for this young man, medical care decisions for this young man and financial decisions for this young man, if there are financial decisions to be made," Carnes said.

I just want to clear this up - Does it mean that even though he's not competent enough to make day-to-day living decision, he's still competent enough to stand trial for the murder charges?

 

[jillio]

Thanks for adding more information to this, Calvin.



I just want to clear this up - Does it mean that even though he's not competent enough to make day-to-day living decision, he's still competent enough to stand trial for the murder charges?

Well, they have found him incompetent to make day-to-day living decisions, and that means that a guardian will be appointed to make those decisions for him. It will be a different procedure and evaluation to see if he is competent to stand trial.

 

[Babyblue]

How can they charge someone that can not connect with reality. Isn't that a part of autism?

correct me if I am wrong.

 

[jillio]

How can they charge someone that can not connect with reality. Isn't that a part of autism?

correct me if I am wrong.

Depends on where his functioning is. If he is incompetent to make decisions for himself,chances are he will be found incompetent to stand trial.

 

[sara1981]

that would be so stupid!