By Breaking Belize News Staff: A Belize City man described as an alleged mental patient may undergo a competency hearing to determine whether he is fit to stand trial for murder.
Aban Ashton Grant, 33, of Baymen Avenue, appeared before Justice Derick Sylvester in the High Court, where the Crown indicated that a competency hearing may be necessary to determine whether he is of sound mind to face trial.
Grant was initially charged with manslaughter in connection with the stabbing death of 67-year-old Griffith McNaughton Cadle, a Belizean-American retired U.S. serviceman. However, upon indictment at the High Court, the charge was upgraded to murder.
Grant remains on remand at the Belize Central Prison.
Cadle was killed on Thursday, June 13, 2024. Police say that around 10:00 p.m., they received information of a man lying motionless on St. Joseph Street in Belize City.
Officers visited the area and found Cadle lying face down with apparent stab wounds to his body. He was later transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Initial investigations revealed that Cadle had been socializing with another man near A&G Shopping, located at the corner of Baymen Avenue and St. Joseph Street. The two reportedly walked together before Cadle was later seen running and collapsing at the intersection of St. Joseph Street and Nurse Seay Street.
Police say the assailant, later identified as Grant, ran off toward St. James Street.
Investigators later recovered a kitchen knife from a drain at the corner of St. Joseph Street and St. James Street, believed to be the murder weapon. Police also searched a residence on Baymen Avenue, where they found Grant and clothing allegedly bearing suspected blood stains.
All items were labeled and placed into evidence.
Grant is now awaiting further proceedings in the High Court.
The post Court weighs competency hearing for alleged mental patient charged for stabbing elderly man to death appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A Belize City man described as an alleged mental patient may undergo a competency hearing to determine whether he is fit to stand trial for murder. Aban Ashton Grant, 33, of Baymen Avenue, appeared before Justice Derick Sylvester in the High Court, where the Crown indicated that a competency hearing
The post Court weighs competency hearing for alleged mental patient charged for stabbing elderly man to death appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
