17-Year-Old Homicide Defendant Deemed Not Criminally Responsible

By Yihan Zhao [former] - July 22, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Juveniles | Suspects | Victims |

A 17-year-old homicide defendant pleaded not criminally responsible for first-degree murder during mental health court on July 21 at the Baltimore City Circuit Court. 

According to Judge Gale E. Rasin, evaluators said the defendant has a history of schizophrenia.

The defendant, who is a Baltimore resident, experienced auditory hallucinations on March 18, 2020, leading him to believe that he had to jump off a bridge. After attempting to do so, he was taken to Shock Trauma.

At Shock Trauma, the defendant left his treatment room and entered the room of 73-year-old Katheline Walker. According to the evaluator’s report, the defendant was hallucinating and believed he was a warrior. He proceeded to attack Walker, who died the next day from multiple severe injuries to her face and head. 

During Wednesday’s proceeding, the defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and then pleaded not criminally responsible.

The evaluator’s report revealed that the defendant was suffering from his mental illness at the time of the incident and that his abilities to understand the law or appreciate the wrongfulness and criminality of his conduct were impaired.

For these reasons, Judge Rasin accepted his plea of not criminally responsible. The defendant will remain at a psychiatric hospital until the facility can prove that he does not pose a danger to himself, others, or the property of others. Upon release to the community, he would be under heightened supervision. 

The defendant has an automatic hearing in 50 days to determine whether he is competent to leave the hospital. The prosecutor said that it is unlikely that he will be competent by then. 

During the hearing, Walker’s husband delivered a statement expressing his grief and wish that no one would experience a similar loss. Judge Rasin expressed her condolences to Walker’s husband and then urged the defendant to be responsible and safe by taking his medicine regularly, as he has a history of not doing so.

While that defendant may be treated indefinitely at a psychiatric hospital, a homicide defendant in another case mentioned that he recently got a new job.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Melvin Russell is the son of a former Baltimore Police Commissioner of the same name. Russell, who had a documented history of schizophrenia, engaged in a fight with his 49-year-old roommate, Theophilus Ruffin, on Aug. 31, 2015. Both suffered multiple stab wounds and were taken to a local hospital, where Ruffin was pronounced dead. 

In 2016, Russell was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in mental health court. Since then, he has participated in a rehabilitation program. 

On Wednesday, Russell, 44, reported to the court about his progress in the program. He said he recently became employed as an actor and that he is reintegrating back into society. Judge Rasin congratulated Russell on his new job.

Judge Rasin said Russell’s supervising agent had previously informed her that Russell had missed a meeting appointment last week. Judge Rasin reminded Russell that he is still required to attend 90 meetings with his supervising agent. 

Russell is scheduled to return to mental health court on Aug. 4 to check in on his progress.