73-year-old woman accused of dismembering boyfriend to undergo psychological evaluation
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A judge Friday ordered another mental health evaluation for a woman accused of killing and dismembering her boyfriend in Daytona Beach six years ago. The woman has been described as a person of interest in a second dismemberment case.
Nelci S. Tetley, 73, was indicted Feb. 9, 2018, on a charge of first-degree murder with a firearm in the killing of boyfriend Jeffery Albertsman, who was shot to death and then dismembered the year before.
Circuit Judge Elizabeth Blackburn had ruled in 2022 that Tetley was mentally incompetent to proceed in her defense after both prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on that point. But the Department of Children and Families challenged that finding.
The 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach ruled this year in favor of DCF and struck down the judge's order. A central issue was mental health experts' opinion that Tetley’s mental competency could not be restored or was unlikely to be restored.
On Friday, Tetley sat in a wheelchair as a bailiff wheeled her into the courtroom at the S. James Foxman Justice Center in Daytona Beach.
Tetley told the judge that she was having trouble hearing so the judge asked everyone to speak into the microphone.
Assistant State Attorney Heatha Trigones asked the judge to order another mental health evaluation for Tetley, because the previous evaluations were “stale.” Assistant Public Defender Brian Smith agreed that another evaluation would be appropriate.
Blackburn ordered the evaluation; experts will examine Tetley at the Volusia County Branch Jail where she is being held without bond. The judge noted that mental health evaluations are considered old after 90 days.
The judge also set a status hearing on the case for Aug. 30 to possibly decide whether a competency hearing is necessary.
As Tetley was wheeled out of the courtroom she passed by Albertsman's mother sitting in the gallery. Tetley glanced at the woman.
Albertsman's mother declined comment after the hearing.
While not discussed in court, if Tetley cannot be restored to mental health competency she may be released to some type of facility in the community.
Man killed, dismembered
Albertsman's death shocked Daytona Beach.
Police found the 55-year-old's body July 26, 2017, inside his home at 1222 North St. A bullet to the head had killed him but he also had a slug in his chest. His arms and legs were found 20 miles away in a fernery in DeLeon Springs.
Albertsman’s dismembered corpse was discovered almost 10 years after the dismembered body of Michael Scot Louis was found stuffed inside garbage bags along the banks of the Tomoka River in Ormond Beach. Tetley was described as a person of interest in that case.
When Tetley had a bond hearing in 2020, Louis' friends and family wrote the judge urging that her motion to reduce bond be denied. The judge denied the motion on June 12, 2020.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Woman accused of dismembering boyfriend in Daytona Beach to be evaluated
