Saturday, May 11, 2013

Judge Orders CA County to Assume Guardianship of Elderly Murder Suspect

Over the objections of Los Angeles County mental health officials, a judge on Thursday ordered an 86-year-old murder defendant to remain in the government's care and not be released to a family member.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Norman Shapiro said that Nattie Kennebrew, who in 2009 allegedly shot and killed a handyman and tried to kill the manager at the Hollywood apartment building where he lived, must remain at Patton State hospital and that the county must pay for his care.

In his ruling to keep Kennebrew in a locked psychiatric hospital for mentally ill criminal defendants, Shapiro sided with the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, which argued that Kennebrew remained a threat to public safety. The county had said that because of Kennebrew's dementia, he did not need to remain under the county's oversight.

"I can't stress to you enough -- you have someone who murdered someone allegedly," Shapiro said. "I agree with the district attorney here."

Kennebrew is charged with fatally shooting handyman Gerardo Ramos, 46, on the afternoon of Jan. 28, 2009.

Full Article and Source:
L.A. County Ordered to Assume Guardianship of Elderly Murder Suspect

3 comments:

Thelma said...

If the guy is still a "defendant,"
how can he stand trial if he's mentally incompetent?

Steve said...

No relatives?

Anonymous said...

he can't stand trial. that is not what this is about. it is about ordering the public guardian to be in charge of him by making them have conservatorship. which means , keeping him locked up basically.