The Brief
- A judge ruled Matthew Dieringer incompetent to stand trial for the first-degree murder of a 67-year-old man in Scottsdale.
- A mental health expert diagnosed Dieringer with delusional disorder and a paranoid personality style, among other conditions.
- Dieringer has been placed in a restoration competency program within Maricopa County Correctional Health Services with a standard 15-month timeframe.
PHOENIX – An accused killer once described by Scottsdale police as “charismatic and manipulative” is no longer heading to trial, at least for now, after a judge ruled Matthew Dieringer incompetent to stand trial.
The backstory:
It’s been a little more than a year since 36-year-old Matthew Dieringer was arrested for first-degree murder, accused of beating 67-year-old Frank Quaranta to death in his Scottsdale home. Court records say Quaranta suffered skull fractures, a neck fracture and broken ribs. Quaranta worked at a heat relief center, where he met Dieringer. At the time, Dieringer was homeless.…