A Durham judge has ruled that 41-year-old Andrea Faust cannot currently stand trial on first-degree murder and attempted-murder charges, ordering her into inpatient psychiatric care instead of continuing with regular court proceedings.
Faust was arrested in mid-February after Durham police found two small children unresponsive in a home; one later died and the other was hospitalized. Court records cited by the judge describe multiple suicide attempts and serious injuries Faust suffered while in custody. Those details persuaded the court to put the brakes on the criminal case while doctors evaluate whether she is mentally capable of facing trial in the future.
Judge orders transfer for inpatient evaluation
The judge signed an order sending Faust to Central Regional Hospital’s Butner campus for temporary custody, examination and treatment, according to WRAL. Forensic clinicians there will evaluate whether she can be restored to competency and address what the court has identified as acute psychiatric needs.
The custody order stresses that Faust is to receive immediate, intensive treatment and monitoring. Any move to restart the criminal case will depend on whether clinicians decide her competency can be restored.
How the case began
According to reporting by ABC11, Durham police arrested Faust after officers responded to a home on the 10 block of Chartwell Court and found two small children unresponsive. One child later died and the other was taken to a hospital…