KINGMAN – A plea agreement was stalled during a recent sentencing hearing when Judge Doug Camacho instead decided that the Bullhead City defendant should first undergo a full-blown mental health evaluation.
Ethan Nelson, 29, had undergone an initial assessment but he will now get the more extensive evaluation under the Rule 11 provision that will determine if he is legally competent to stand trial.
“Obviously your Honor, he is seriously mentally ill,” defense attorney George Hibbeler said during the March 18 hearing before Judge Doug Camacho in Kingman. He said Nelson possesses below average intellect and suffers bipolar, schizophrenic and other mental disorders.
“The state has numerous concerns,” echoed prosecutor Jacob Cote.
It was stated during the hearing that during preparation of a pre-sentence report Nelson claimed that he attended college in 1863.
“It is inappropriate for the court to sentence a person if the person is not competent to stand trial,” Camacho said. He appointed a psychiatrist to help determine whether Nelson should be declared incompetent or allowed to go through with the plea agreement that was entered in early February. He pled guilty to aggravated assault in a deal that would result in a prison term ranging from two to 8.75 years.
Bullhead City Police said Nelson stabbed his 60-year-old roommate multiple times last November at the Good Care Network home in the 2200 block of Ventura Drive. The victim reportedly suffered a serious injury under one of his arms and was flown to a Las Vegas hospital for treatment.
- Dave Hawkins
