Defendant in 2022 Vancouver Road Child Abuse Case Remains Incompetent to Stand Trial

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A 26-year-old woman charged with first-degree murder remain committed in a hospital after she was deemed a danger to society before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Gale E. Raisin on June 14.

The order to extend Anthya Barnett’s hospital commitment came during her annual review mental health court hearing. Sharon Bogins Erberhart represented the defendant at the proceeding.

Judge Rasin approved the extended commitment request and Barnett will remain in the hospital for six more months.

According to the Maryland Judiciary website, Barnett is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree arson and child abuse resulting in the death of a child under the age of 13 in connection with an incident on April 8, 2022.

According to charging documents, the incident occurred at the defendant’s residence on the 4700 block of Vancouver Road. Baltimore City firefighters were called to a home, where they put out a mattress fire and found 3-year-old My’Royal Bennett’s body. Barnett’s relationship to Bennett is unknown. Further police investigation revealed that the defendant who is a resident of the home left the scene in a U-Haul truck, it is unknown if the truck belonged to her.

On April 25, 2022, when speaking to police Barnett confessed to the crime saying she laid Bennet on the mattress and set it on fire. The defendant allegedly believes the victim was unconscious at the time.

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