A Fort Worth man accused of killing his mother during what he allegedly called an exorcism has been found incompetent to stand trial, and a judge on Tuesday ordered him moved from the Tarrant County jail to a state mental health facility for treatment. The decision follows a court-ordered psychological evaluation that concluded he cannot meaningfully help his lawyers right now, even as prosecutors continue to pursue a murder case stemming from an April welfare check at a west Fort Worth home.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a court-appointed psychologist determined that 23-year-old Alexander Taylor Valdez is not currently competent to stand trial, and the judge signed an order sending him to a state facility for competency restoration. The order calls for his condition to be reviewed in the coming months. The Star-Telegram reports that the Tarrant County medical examiner found that the victim, 58-year-old Teresita Sayson, died from blunt-force trauma to the head. Valdez’s defense attorney told the paper that “it’s obvious something was wrong at the time of the alleged crime.”
Police arrested Valdez in April after an anonymous 911 caller reported receiving a Snapchat photo that appeared to show a woman covered in blood. Officers went to the 9900 block of Farmers Branch Street and found Valdez at the door, with blood on his body and a Bible in his hand. An arrest affidavit states that he told officers, “It was an exorcism,” and said he had been “doing witchcraft to kill my mom,” as reported by the Dallas Morning News.
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Officers found Sayson in the master bedroom with severe trauma to her face and upper body, and a dead dog nearby. Investigators say they recovered a broken jewelry box with blood and hair lodged inside that may have been used as the weapon. Local coverage and the arrest affidavit describe a Snapchat group of friends who saw the disturbing image before one person finally contacted police, according to CBS Texas…