Homicide Defendant Deemed Competent to Stand Trial

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DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan deemed a homicide defendant competent to stand trial on Sept. 5 following a report from the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH).

Spiro Stafilatos, 37, is charged with second-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and fleeing from a law enforcement officer for an incident that occurred on Dec. 30, 2022 on the 1400 block of New York Avenue, NW. The incident resulted in the death of 31-year-old Shuyu Sui.

According to court documents, Stafilatos sped away from a traffic stop, ran a red light and collided with a car. As a result of the collision, Stafilatos’ vehicle spun into the crosswalk and allegedly hit Sui and another victim while they were crossing the street.

On Aug. 30, Brian McDaniel, Stafilatos’ defense attorney, requested a mental competency screening which Judge Raffinan agreed to.

The report done by DBH indicates that Stafilatos is competent to stand trial. It also stated that he might benefit from being moved from the DC Jail to the lower security Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF) for more mental health support.

Judge Raffinan stated she can’t order he be transferred, but can suggest the Department of Corrections (DoC) move him.

A motions hearing is scheduled for Nov. 15.