Timothy Blaney ruled competent to stand trial for murder
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POCATELLO – The preliminary hearing for a 21-year-old man charged with murder got off to a rocky start Tuesday and was continued.
Timothy Blaney, is charged with first degree murder in the May beating death of Skylar T. Huffield.
According to police reports, Huffield and Diana Shaeffer — Blaney’s wife — were sleeping during the morning of May 25 when Shaeffer awoke to find Blaney standing in the bedroom and the lights turned on.
Blaney then allegedly began to beat Huffield in the head with a two-by-four, which was described as being between 2 to 3 feet long.
Although Shaeffer and Blaney are married, they have been separated since February. They also have a child together. Shaeffer told police that she grabbed Blaney around the waist in an attempt to stop the beating.
Huffield was transported to Portneuf Medical Center and later died from injuries sustained in the attack.
A preliminary hearing for Blaney was originally set for June 8, but he waived the statutory time requirement for preliminary proceedings and the case was reset for July 20. That hearing was also vacated when Sixth District Magistrate Rick Carnaroli granted a defense motion for a competency evaluation in the case.
Carnaroli reviewed that evaluation and ruled Blaney is competent to stand trial for Huffield’s murder.
On Monday, Bannock County Deputy Prosecutor Zach Parris filed a motion asking the court to continue the preliminary hearing until next week.
Parris said that three of four witnesses at the scene of the homicide absconded in October, but were arrested on outstanding warrants last week. The witnesses are now in custody, but Parris said, the state will need to interview them again.
Carnaroli noted if the witnesses absconded in October, the motion to continue should have been filed then as well.
“I have been up since 4:30 a.m. preparing for this case,” Carnaroli said. “I expect you all to work as hard as I do.”
The judge initially granted a four-hour continuance and preparations were underway to transport the witnesses to the Bannock County Courthouse.
However after discussions between the prosecutor and public defenders, Dave Martinez and Kent Reynolds, who are representing Blaney in the case, the homicide case was still continued — this time until Dec. 6.
Blaney remains incarcerated in the Bannock County Jail, bond in the case was set at $1 million.
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