RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A judge has declined to release a man who was found not guilty of first-degree murder by reason of insanity in the death of a Virginia bank executive.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Nigel Walker was institutionalized at Central State Hospital in 2017, after he was acquitted in the 2016 death of SunTrust vice president Brian Szabo. Doctors at three mental hospitals have evaluated Walker, and say he no longer needs inpatient treatment.
The Department of Mental Health’s commissioner petitioned for Walker’s conditional release. Walker’s lawyer, William Efird, says Walker would continue treatment and be monitored by the Community Services Board if released.
But prosecutor Cynthia R. Micklem argued the plan for monthly check-ins didn’t ensure public safety. Richmond Circuit Court Judge Phillip Hairston agreed, calling the plan “woefully insufficient.”
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Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, http://www.richmond.com
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