A fresh round of local investigations is raising tough questions about how a Bradenton man a judge had declared mentally incompetent ended up back in the community and, weeks later, accused of killing his mother and her boyfriend. Court records and reporting show that Thomas Matejcek was placed on a conditional release plan that included community housing, then left a placement and was not located before deputies say the Nov. 10, 2023 killings occurred. The unfolding timeline has relatives and local leaders calling for tighter oversight of court ordered residential placements for people with serious mental illness, warning that the system only seemed to notice when it was far too late.
Records trace a brief stay and a big gap in supervision
WTSP’s 10 Investigates package “Unmonitored” reports that court orders show Matejcek was declared incompetent to stand trial and released under conditions that included living at the Mary Jennings residence in Bradenton. The station reports he stayed only hours at the home, left, and was not tracked while under Centerstone’s supervision before the Nov. 10, 2023 deaths, leaving what appears to be a critical gap between what the court ordered and what actually happened on the ground.
How the court order played out
Manatee County court records reviewed by local reporting show 12th Judicial Circuit Judge Frederick Mercurio found Matejcek incompetent and approved conditional release tied to treatment and housing. Tampa Bay 28 reported that Centerstone staff later emailed the public defender’s office saying they could not locate Matejcek after he left the home, a communication lapse that relatives and investigators say left the community exposed and raised the question of who, if anyone, was actually watching.
What reporters uncovered about Centerstone placements
The Herald-Tribune reporting, recapped in coverage available via AOL, says Centerstone of Florida routed some forensic clients to an unlicensed house run by Mary Jennings and paid the operator for beds across 2023-24. In the wake of the investigation Centerstone replaced several Florida executives in March 2026 as questions mounted over placement decisions and oversight, with critics arguing that vulnerable clients were effectively hidden in plain sight.
Family seeks accountability
The estate of Patricia Matejcek has retained law firm Swope, Rodante P.A. to pursue claims against Centerstone and other entities tied to the placements and supervision. In a press release via Swope, Rodante P.A., the firm’s attorneys said the deaths appear to be “the predictable result of a chain of failures” and that they will press for accountability through civil claims, framing the lawsuit as a test of how far Florida’s mental health providers and contractors can be pushed to answer for breakdowns in care.
Legal status and next steps…