Anchorage Daily News

JUNEAU -- A Superior Court judge in Sitka says he will decide by the end of this week whether to order a psychiatric examination for a 19-year-old man charged in the stabbing deaths of four people at a Sitka home this spring.

Jason Abbott is accused of going on a rampage at his grandparents' Sitka home in March, killing his grandfather, grandmother, aunt and her boyfriend. He also is accused of attempting to stab another aunt.

Police have said Abbott told them the "Lord made me murder them."

And according to court records, while in custody, Abbott told a friend on a recorded telephone line that he was planning on taking the insanity plea and would get off in three years.

Superior Court Judge David George says he will make a ruling regarding a court-ordered mental competency exam by the end of the week.

Days before the stabbings, Abbott shaved his head and eyebrows and was arrested on the charge of assaulting his mother. According to police, Abbott became enraged at his mother for having orange and red items in her house.

At a pretrial hearing Monday in Sitka Superior Court, Abbott's attorney, Marcy McDannel, said by phone that a mental health expert she had hired to determine if Abbott is competent to stand trial had become ill and couldn't be reached.

McDannel said the expert had not returned documents and other materials relating to Abbott's medical and psychiatric health evaluation.

George said the court should order a competency evaluation because of concerns McDannel had voiced in court filings.

McDannel requested more time to have her own evaluation done. Prosecuting attorney Dwayne McConnell said by phone he didn't mind waiting.

Both lawyers said they believed Abbott is competent to stand trial.

Last month, the judge rejected a request from the district attorney's office for an independent psychiatric exam of Abbott. George said the request was premature and that the state could ask for such an exam if the defense raises Abbott's mental state as an issue in the trial.

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