 | ||
| Anthony E. Remillard at his arraignment in September. (T&G File Photo/PAUL KAPTEYN) |
gmurray@telegram.com
WORCESTER — A hearing is scheduled Feb. 25 to determine whether a Worcester man charged with manslaughter and arson is mentally competent to stand trial.
Anthony Remillard, 23, is awaiting trial in Worcester Superior Court on a charge of manslaughter in the 2013 death of Dennis R. Perry, a 64-year-old developmentally disabled Athol man, at the Templeton Developmental Center.
Mr. Remillard stands accused of assaulting Mr. Perry on Sept. 16, 2013, by pushing him into a boiler at the center's Valley Barn. Mr. Perry suffered a severe head injury, according to authorities, and died a few days later at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.
In addition to the manslaughter indictment, Mr. Remillard is charged with assault and battery on a disabled person over 60 and assault and battery on a public employee.
Mr. Remillard, formerly of 57 Lafayette St., was sent to the center on Freight Shed Road in Templeton for treatment after being charged with setting a May 6, 2012, fire in a vacant building at 50 Lafayette St. The building was undergoing renovations at the time of the two-alarm blaze.
Mr. Remillard is charged in that case, which is also pending in Worcester Superior Court, with arson of a dwelling house, burning a building and breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony.
He remains in custody without bail.
On Sept. 16, the day Mr. Remillard was arraigned on the manslaughter and assault charges, Judge James R. Lemire allowed a motion filed by Assistant District Attorney Joseph A. Quinlan asking that a preliminary evaluation be conducted by a court clinician to determine his competency to stand trial. The results of that evaluation, which was done the next day by court psychologist Alan Schoenberger, have not been made public.
In support of his request, the prosecutor said there had been "conflicting findings" by court clinicians in the past concerning Mr. Remillard's competency to stand trial.
On Oct. 8, Judge Lemire granted a request by Mr. Remillard's lawyer, Keith T. Higgins, for funds to have his client examined by another psychologist, Daniel Kriegman, to determine both his competency to stand trial and whether he could be held criminally responsible for his alleged actions.
A judge is expected to rule on the competency issue based on evidence introduced at the Feb. 25 hearing. Mr. Remillard could be committed to Bridgewater State Hospital if deemed incompetent to stand trial.
Contact Gary V. Murray at gmurray@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @GaryMurrayTG
It is a shame that this man was put in a setting where his behavior was not closely monitored, and in my opinion, he had no business being with a non violent elderly person. The blame goes to a system that has broken down, allowing this to happen. If you are wondering why he was at the Developmental Center, it may have been because if a person has a IQ of 70 or less, they can not be put in jail. Bev.
ReplyDeleteI would agree these court meeting on competency waste of time , however more foolish is holding such hearing other then now placing this guy
ReplyDeletein more restricted place / prison which will never give him corrections for his violent behavior . however , reports nation wide state that state hospital for insane people as well as prison
are more not less violent , In deed . because you lock up hundreds of mentally ill violent person and expect they will not kill each other is very
foolish all this is out of sight out of mind ... , all this does put every employee in danger as well as inmates and citizen the developmental center should be made into a town center / or casino location and the wild life then persevered or open organic farm but not a prison in any way ,,,