Psychiatrist finds Boise mass stabbing suspect incompetent to stand trial; prosecution plans challenge - East Idaho News
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Psychiatrist finds Boise mass stabbing suspect incompetent to stand trial; prosecution plans challenge

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BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Ada County prosecutors got a judge to postpone the competency hearing for a man accused of stabbing nine people — including a 3-year-old who later died — after saying in court Thursday that they will challenge a psychiatrist’s finding that Timmy Earl Kinner Jr. is unfit to stand trial.

Deputy Prosecutor Dan Dinger said during a hearing that prosecutors have an expert they want to review the 300-400 pages of findings by a court-appointed psychologist and psychiatrist in Kinner’s case.

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The evaluation by the two psychiatric experts has been sealed, so its contents are not available to the public. Fourth District Court Judge Nancy Baskin will make a decision after the competency hearing on whether Kinner should be committed to a state hospital for mental health treatment.

Defense attorney David Smethers objected to any delay, saying the state should have been prepared for either finding: competent or incompetent. He said the psychiatrist found Kinner incompetent to stand trial.

“It’s hard to prepare for that before you have the actual report,” Dinger said.

Kinner’s competency hearing had been scheduled for Dec. 13. Baskin ordered the hearing closed to the public, other than stabbing victims, victim-witness coordinators and a police investigator.

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Baskin said Thursday that she would grant a short continuance, with the hearing taking place either Dec. 27 or Jan. 3. Court then went into recess so the details could be ironed out. Because some witnesses could appear in court on only one of those dates, Baskin said the hearing would be held on Dec. 27 and then concluded on Jan. 3.

Kinner is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ruya Kadir. He’s facing numerous other charges, including eight counts of aggravated assault.

Two weeks ago, Kinner’s attorneys asked Baskin to move the high-profile death penalty case from January 2019 to January 2020. It is now set to begin on Jan. 13, 2020.

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Police investigators said Kinner went on a violent rampage at the Wylie Street Station Apartments on June 30 because he was kicked out by a woman who invited him to stay there as a guest.

The nine mass stabbing victims included six children, including 3-year-old Ruya, who was celebrating her birthday. She died two days after the stabbing. All of the victims were refugees from Syria, Iraq and Ethiopia.

This article was originally published by the Idaho Statesman. It is used here with permission.

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