By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Joshua Vance, the suspect in the stabbing death of his father in Onalaska and Weston G. Miller, the suspect in last week’s fatal shooting in Centralia will both be evaluated by psychiatrists from Western State Hospital before further court proceedings can take place.
The men are charged with first-degree murder in separate cases and are being held in the Lewis County Jail.
Joshua Vance
Centralia J.P. Enbody who represented both before a judge today said the requested evaluations are to find out if they are competent to stand trial and able to assist their lawyers in their defense.
“Just to make sure he understands the nature of the proceedings, in a nutshell,” Enbody said.
Vance, 25, had been off his medication for several days two weeks ago when he allegedly attacked his father Terry Vance while he was asleep in bed, according to his family. The Centralia College student was hospitalized himself for lacerations to his fingers after telling a first responder he cut them to make himself stop.
His lawyer, David Arcuri, said he made the request for reasons he wouldn’t discuss based on attorney-client confidentiality. He called it a 15-day evaluation.
Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said while sometimes the competency evaluations are done by Western State staff at the jail, they would make sure Vance got his conducted at the state mental hospital near Steilacoom.
Both men were on the court schedule today to make their pleas and have trial dates set. But that didn’t happen.
Vance was brought into the courtroom but taken away before his case was addressed. Miller was not brought up from the jail at all.
Centralia attorney Enbody said it wasn’t necessary for his client to be present.
Miller, 29, was arrested on Tuesday of last week after police were called to his home on B Street in Centralia and found his house guest dead of two gunshot wounds to his chest area.
Prosecutors say it was an unprovoked attack inside the out-of-work welder’s house on B Street but Miller claims 43-year-old David Carson rushed him with a knife.
Enbody said the reason for the request was because the charges are “about as serious as they get” but declined to offer a more specific reason for wondering if his client might not be competent.
Deputy Prosecutor Kjell Werner said both sides “thought it was a good idea.”
Western State has up to 90 days to complete their evaluations, according to Enbody.
However, it took almost 15 months after a Centralia woman was arrested last spring before a judge was able to get the outcome of her mental evaluation.
A court date to review the progress of the evaluation for Miller was scheduled for April 5. A similar date was set for April 12 for Vance’s case.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter