Man accused of murdering Seattle dog walker ruled unfit to stand trial
Jahmed Haynes, accused of murdering 80-year-old Ruth Dalton and her dog, faces competency challenges in court, with a recent report indicating he cannot assist in his defense due to mental health issues.
Ruth Dalton's granddaughter, Melanie Roberts, expresses frustration with the judicial system and seeks justice, hoping Haynes is permanently removed from the streets.
A 90-day restoration period is set for Haynes, with a subsequent court hearing scheduled for July 24th.
SEATTLE - The man accused of murdering a beloved 80-year-old dog walker in Seattle last August was back in court on Thursday, where a judge ruled he was not competent to stand trial.
Just as she has been for all the other hearings, Ruth Dalton's granddaughter Melanie Roberts was back at the courthouse once again.
"It's been eight months, and we're no better off now than we were eight months ago when they arrested him," Roberts said.
The backstory
Court documents show Jahmed Haynes reportedly carjacked Dalton as she was walking dogs in the neighborhood. Investigators say he dragged her with her own car before running her over. Haynes is also charged with animal cruelty for killing Dalton's dog.
"He disgusts me, to make the decisions that he made, it disgusts me. It saddens me," Roberts said. "I'm mad at the court, and our state and the judicial system that he was out on the streets to begin with."
Back in December, Haynes was found competent to stand trial, but earlier this month the Department of Social and Health Services reported that was no longer the case. They outlined their reasonings in a 10-page report. "It gives the court a lot of information including a description of the evaluation that was conducted, clinical history," the judge said.
Dig deeper
Haynes appeared in court dressed in a red jumpsuit. The judge ruled our cameras were not allowed to show his face to preserve his right to a fair trial.
"Based on this report and the information that is contained in it, I agree with the evaluator that Mr. Haynes lacks the ability to assist in his own defense," the Judge said. "Obviously there are some barriers listed here, and the report lists medications to restore competency."
That decision comes after Seattle Police had previously said the 48-year-old has eight prior felonies and a history of mental health concerns.
For Roberts, the last eight months have been difficult, to say the least. "It was her first birthday without her, our first Thanksgiving and Christmas without her. It was my first birthday without her, my daughter's in a couple of weeks. It's been a lot of hard firsts that will be for the rest of our lives now," Roberts said.
All she wants now is justice for her grandma. She described what justice looks like to her.
"It looks like he never breathes free air again, he's incarcerated for the rest of his life, I don't care if that's in prison or in a mental institution, but he needs to be off the streets," she said.
What's next
A 90-day restoration period has been set. Then, another court hearing is scheduled for July 24.
The Source
Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Shirah Matsuzawa.
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