Was Murder Defendant Competent During 2017 Stabbing?

By D.C. Witness Staff - July 10, 2018
Court | Homicides | Suspects |

On July 9, a DC Superior Court judge said there was a possibility a man facing 12 charges, including multiple murder charges, was not competent at the time he allegedly committed a homicide.

El Hadji Alpha Madiou Toure is charged with fatally stabbing 34-year-old Corrina Mehiel on the 600 block of 14th Street, NE in 2017. According to the medical examiner, Mehiel’s injuries “suggest some sort of torture.”

Toure, 30, is charged with felony murder while armed, first-degree murder while armed, first-degree sexual abuse, kidnapping while armed, first-degree burglary while armed, robbery while armed, first-degree theft, unauthorized use of a vehicle and felony credit card fraud.

According to court documents, surveillance footage showed Mehiel at her car, which was parked near her apartment. Two hours later, a black male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and ripped jeans was seen driving away in Mehiel’s car. Over the course of the next five days, the same individual was caught on footage at multiple ATM machines making withdrawals from Mehiel’s account. He allegedly withdrew a total of $4,000.

Toure was initially deemed incompetent in July 2017 and ordered to inpatient care at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric hospital, until September 2017, when he was deemed competent.

During a status hearing, the prosecution motioned for a Frendak inquiry, which dictates that a judge cannot mandate a defendant to use an insanity defense if they voluntarily choose not to.

Judge Juliet McKenna said that during the initial competency screening there were concerns that Toure was “illogical” and “disconnected.” She also mentioned Toure was on anti-psychotic medicine at the time of the murder and had a history of schizophrenia.

Judge McKenna gave the defense time to file a response to the inquiry. A response is due by Toure’s next status hearing on Aug. 15.