Judge Orders Competency Exam for Murder Defendant

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A DC Superior Court judge ordered a murder defendant’s transfer to St. Elizabeths Hospital, DC’s psychiatric institution, for an exam to determine if he is competent to stand trial. 

Kavel Miller is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the Oct. 8 shooting of 33-year-old Lester Mangum on the 3900 block of South Capitol Street, SW.

Back in September, the 20-year-old defendant was found incompetent to stand trial in a misdemeanor simple assault case he picked up last year. 

With this in mind, Judge Neal Kravitz ordered the defendant transferred to St. Elizabeths so he could undergo a full competency examination in relation to his murder case. 

Judge Kravitz also scheduled a Dec. 7 preliminary hearing to determine if the case has enough evidence to go to trial. 

Mangum sustained a gunshot wound to the left side of his chest, according to court documents. After being shot, the victim reportedly ran into a nearby market, where Metropolitan Police Department officers found him.