A decision on whether 54-year-old Charles Severance is competent to stand trial for the shooting deaths of three Alexandria residents over a 10-year span has been postponed until next month.
Severance, of Ashburn, Virginia, was sent to a state hospital last month for a second, more complete mental-health evaluation.
He is charged with capital murder in the deaths of three prominent Alexandria residents: Nancy Dunning in 2003, Ron Kirby in 2013 and music teacher Ruthanne Lodato last year. Prosecutors, though, have said they won't seek a death sentence.
At a pretrial hearing Thursday in Alexandria, lawyers declined to discuss the results of his evaluation. Severance has objected to having his competency questioned.
A hearing on his competency has been scheduled for April 23.
Severance had several verbal outbursts during a hearing in January, where the judge ordered him to be hospitalized to get a more complete mental competency evaluation. He complained to the judge about his lawyers and said, "I'd like the defense to competently argue I've been denied a right to a speedy trial."
The judge told him he had a very competent legal team.
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In court Thursday, the judge also approved another $30,000 for defense team investigators, who have already spent $30,000. Severance's defense indicated they will want money to hire a firearms toolmark expert. The judge said ballistics would be a big part of the case.
Last year, Alexandria Police Chief Earl Cook said that
the bullets used in all three cases
have the "same general rifling class and characteristics."
