Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Gale E. Rasin found a 26-year-old Baltimore man accused of killing his mother mentally competent to stand trial on Oct. 29 after reviewing the results of his mental health evaluation.
Ajay Wiggins is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly strangling his 64-year-old mother, Joyce Gaskins, to death on Nov. 15, 2024. Officers responding to the 1600 block of Druid Hill Avenue found Gaskins unresponsive between the bed and the wall of her room, with dry, undissolved pills in her mouth, bruising on her neck, and hemorrhaging in both eyes.
When officers asked what happened to Gaskins, Wiggins reportedly responded by writing the number “666” on a piece of paper. The termis thought to be the number of the beast, or a symbol of the anti-Christ.
“I found without a reasonable doubt that the defendant is competent to stand trial,” said Judge Rasin. In order to stand trial a defendant must understand the charges and be able to help his attorney.
Defense attorney Benjamin Charlton said he plans to meet with the case’s prosecutor to discuss filing a not criminally responsible (NCR) plea, tantamount to an insanity defense.
