Oklahoma judge rules man competent to stand trial for beheading

By Heide Brandes

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - A man charged with first-degree murder in the beheading of a woman at an Oklahoma City-area food-processing plant is competent to stand trial, an Oklahoma judge ruled on Wednesday.

Alton Nolen, 31, is accused of stabbing and beheading 54-year-old Colleen Hufford on Sept. 25, 2014. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

A forensic psychologist told a court in Norman, south of Oklahoma City, during the trial this week that Nolen wants to be executed and that he was not cooperating with his defense team.

Nolen is also accused of stabbing 43-year-old Traci Johnson numerous times before being shot by Mark Vaughan, the former chief executive officer of Vaughan Foods in Moore, Oklahoma, and a reserve sheriff’s deputy at the company.

Nolen had lost his job at the plant.

"Based upon the totality of the evidence, it is clear that he does not" have mental incompetency, District Judge Lori Walkley said, adding "it is the finding of this Court that Defendant does not meet the statutory definition of mental retardation."

The order adds that Nolen is exercising his free will by not helping his defense team.

The FBI has been examining Nolen's background for any potential religious ties to the attack after former colleagues said he had tried to convert them to Islam. Police said Nolen had recently become a Muslim.

(Reporting by Heide Brandes; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)