Muncie man charged in mother's slaying found incompetent to stand trial
MUNCIE, Ind. — A Muncie man accused of fatally stabbing his mother is incompetent to stand trial, Delaware Circuit Court 5 Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. ruled Tuesday.
Myron Jamar Armstrong, 28, is charged with murder in the July 31 slaying of 61-year-old Sondra Armstrong in their North Burns Street home.
The victim told 911 dispatchers her son had stabbed her in the chest. She later was pronounced dead at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital.
Mental health professionals examine suspect
Public defender Sam Beasley filed the documents necessary to pursue an insanity defense, prompting Cannon to appoint two local mental health professionals — psychiatrist Craig Buckles and psychologist Bob Hatfield — to examine Armstrong.
At a Tuesday hearing, Cannon said those exams resulted in findings that Armstrong was not competent to stand trial.
Crime:Anderson men sentenced for roles in ex-Muncie resident's killing
"The state is going to accept the findings contained in the reports," Chief Deputy Prosecutor Doug Mawhorr told the judge.
Cannon found Armstrong "lacks the ability to understand the proceedings and assist in preparation of a defense."
The judge ordered the Muncie man committed to the Indiana Department of Mental Health and Addiction to receive "competency restoration services."
If those efforts prove unsuccessful, "regular commitment proceedings" would begin, the judge said.
Suspect says Ryan Seacrest ordered him to kill mother
In the wake of his mother's slaying, Armstrong reportedly admitted to police that he had killed her, at one point indicating he had been ordered to do so by TV personality Ryan Seacrest.
Armstrong also reportedly claimed to be God, and told police he was "dead inside."
The Muncie man — who remains in the Delaware County jail pending transfer to a state mental hospital — attended Tuesday's hearing, but did not speak.
He also faces three misdemeanor charges — resisting law enforcement and two counts of criminal mischief — in a case filed in Muncie City Court in July 2021.
In that case, he is accused of throwing rocks at passing vehicles from a parking lot along East McGalliard Road.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie man charged in mother's slaying found incompetent to stand trial
