Doctors once more concluded More than six years after Dimitrios Pagourtzis, now 24, was charged with shooting and killing ten people inside his Santa Fe high school and injuring thirteen more, he is incapable to stand trial.
Physicians assessed that Pagourtzis is likely to do serious injury to others, is experiencing significant and abnormal mental, emotional, or physical distress, and is experiencing a significant decline in his ability to function independently, as stated in the signed order.
In relation to the shooting, he is still in custody on indictment for capital murder and aggravated assault of a peace officer. Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady stated in a statement that his office is dedicated to seeing Pagourtzis put on trial by jury.
According to Roady, the court today ordered defendant Dimitrios Pagourtzis to be recommitted to North Texas State Hospital’s maximum security unit in order to restore his capacity to stand trial in accordance with Texas law.
Judge Lonnie Cox of the 56th District Court approved the court order Thursday, citing Texas statutes and the hospital’s most recent report, which revealed that Pagourtzis had not yet been returned to competency, according to Roady.
Since his initial admission to an inpatient mental health facility on November 15, 2019, doctors have ruled in a written order that Pagorutzis is not competent to stand trial each year. Following therapy, Pagourtzis will be readmitted to the north Texas facility for a maximum of one more year for the seventh time.
When, if at all, doctors could decide that he is prepared to stand trial is still up in the air. According to hospital doctors, Pagourtzi’s competency can still be restored, according to Nick Poehl, his defense lawyer, who spoke to Houston Public Media last year.
According to Poehl, that is far from stating that he will be. We keep waiting while they keep trying.
RELATED: The capital murder trial is still pending after the Santa Fe High School gunman was recommitted to the state hospital for mental health treatment.
In anticipation of a criminal prosecution, the majority of the mass murder’s details have been kept secret.
During a three-week trial last year, the accused shooter’s parents were ruled not financially accountable for the 2018 shooting. Lawyers for the families of the victims attempted to show that the shooter’s parents did not stop the slaughter and did not seek mental health care for their son.
The 2018 incident was found to be solely the fault of Pagourtzis and the ammunition manufacturer Lucky Gunner by the jury.
