Bike Week murders: Judge orders second competency evaluation for accused killer
The man accused of fatally stabbing a Daytona Beach couple during Bike Week 2022 is mentally incompetent to proceed in the legal case against him, according to a motion filed by his defense attorneys Monday.
Circuit Judge Elizabeth Blackburn followed up the motion Tuesday by ordering that Jean Macean undergo a mental health exam.
Macean, 33, of Orlando, has been indicted on two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon while acting with premeditation in the killings of Terry Aultman, 48, and Brenda Aultman, 55, according to the indictment.
The Aultmans were stabbed repeatedly while riding their bicycles home in the early morning of March 6, 2022, after attending Bike Week festivities on Main Street in Daytona Beach, police said. Their bodies were found at the corner of Riverview Boulevard and North Wild Olive Avenue.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
During a hearing on June 23, Blackburn set a competency hearing for Macean on Aug. 30.
Blackburn had already found in February that Macean was mentally incompetent to proceed and ordered that he be committed to a state psychiatric facility for treatment. Prosecutors had opposed that decision, arguing he was competent.
In May, the state Department of Children and Families sent the judge a letter stating Macean no longer met the criteria for involuntary commitment.
That led to a hearing where Macean’s defense attorneys, Assistant Public Defenders Jessica Roberts and Larry Avallone, said they would challenge the state’s determination he was competent.
On Monday, Roberts filed a document titled “Suggestion of mental incompetence to stand trial (intellectual disability/autism)."
Roberts checked a number of boxes on the document indicating the following about Macean:
He does not appear to appreciate the nature of the charges or the range and nature of possible penalties.
He has exhibited inappropriate behavior in the presence of attorneys or the court.
He has undergone evaluation and prior treatment for “mental issues.”
He is prescribed medication for various psychological issues.
Defense expert Dr. Aida Dorsainville has provided an opinion that Macean is incompetent to stand trial.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Judge orders accused killer Jean Macean to undergo second evaluation
