Colorado man accused of 2021 supermarket massacre deemed fit for trial, say prosecutors.
Colorado Man Charged with Supermarket Shooting Deemed Mentally Competent for Trial
In an exciting development, prosecutors announced on Wednesday that Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, the man charged with killing 10 people at a Boulder supermarket in 2021, has been deemed mentally competent to move toward trial. This news raises the possibility that criminal proceedings, which have been stalled for over 1 ½ years, could soon resume.
According to a court filing, experts at the state mental hospital have stated in their latest report that Alissa is now considered competent because he is consistently taking his medication, including a new, unidentified drug. However, they caution that his competency is still “tenuous” and recommend that he continue with ongoing psychiatric care and medications to maintain his competency.
Prosecutors have requested that Judge Ingrid Bakke keep Alissa at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo instead of returning him to the jail in Boulder, as the institute can provide a higher level of care. They propose that he be transported to and from Boulder, which is 140 miles (225 kilometers) away, for court hearings.
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The latest mental health evaluation by the state’s experts noted that Alissa’s medication regime and a stable therapeutic environment have played a significant role in maintaining his competency, according to prosecutors.
Judge Bakke still needs to accept the hospital’s conclusion for the criminal proceedings to resume. Prosecutors have also mentioned that Alissa’s lawyers have until September 1 to request another evaluation of his competency.
A hearing to discuss the status of the case is scheduled for Tuesday.
Alissa is facing charges of murder and multiple attempted murder counts for endangering the lives of 26 other people. He has not yet been asked to enter a plea, and his lawyers have not commented on the allegations.
Earlier this year, defense lawyers confirmed that Alissa has schizophrenia, a mental disorder that causes difficulties in understanding reality.
It’s important to note that being deemed mentally competent does not mean Alissa has been cured. It simply means that experts believe he is capable of understanding the proceedings and assisting his defense lawyers.
The tragic mass shooting at the King Soopers grocery store on March 22, 2021, shocked the state of Colorado. The attack claimed the lives of a police officer, shoppers, and several employees. The remodeled King Soopers reopened last year, with about half of the previous staff choosing to return.
Robert Olds, whose niece Rikki Olds was among those killed in the shooting, has been faithfully attending status hearings in the case. He expressed his joy upon hearing the news about Alissa’s competency, stating that after 2 1/2 years, there will finally be movement toward justice. However, he also expressed regret that the death penalty is no longer allowed in Colorado.
The court case has been on hold since December 2021, when a judge initially ruled that Alissa was mentally incompetent and sent him to the state hospital for treatment.
While staff at the hospital continued to find him incompetent, their reports are not made public under Colorado law. District Attorney Michael Dougherty previously alleged that Alissa was refusing to participate in some of his treatment. After pressing for a prosecution expert to evaluate Alissa, defense attorneys revealed his diagnosis in court filings in February, providing the most information about his mental state thus far.
His lawyers also stated that he has a limited ability to interact with others.
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