PREBLE COUNTY — A Preble County judge says a man charged with murder is competent to stand trial.
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LaDavid Shaw was in court Monday morning for his competency hearing.
As News Center 7 previously reported, Shaw pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in connection with the killing of Shanae Robinson at a truck stop in New Paris in June.
As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, Preble County Common Pleas Judge Martin Votel decided Shaw cannot use insanity as a defense and will face a jury trial in October.
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“The court enters a finding that the defendant is capable of understanding the nature of the offense and the proceedings against him, and further is capable of assisting his counsel in his own defense for those reasons that he needs,” Votel said.
Shaw is accused of strangling Robinson at the Petrol Travel Center. He then crashed his semi in an attempt to cover up her death.
Robinson’s family told News Center 7 in July that she and Shaw had been dating.
Deputies said Shaw admitted to killing Robinson because she would “not shut up.”
Court documents stated he went into the truck stop and showered to remove evidence of the murder.
Shaw’s attorney filed a not guilty by reason of insanity plea last month, as well as a motion for a doctor to complete a competency and sanity evaluation of Shaw. In court on Monday, the prosecutors said they were not able to complete the evaluation.
“There was a document submitted with respect to the not guilty by reason of insanity plea, specifically, and that document indicated that Mr.Shaw was not cooperative with the evaluation and did not wish to engage in the evaluation,” Votel stated in court.
Shaw’s attorney told the judge that was correct.
“So after he met with the evaluator, I met with him, and we further discussed it as well. And he decided he is not going to participate in that evaluation, and that we will withdraw the NGRI claim,” Michele Thomas, Shaw’s attorney, said.
News Center 7 asked Thomas if she would provide any sort of comment on Shaw’s behalf. She told Robertson that she would not comment on an open case.
Shaw is expected back in court next month.
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