Neighbors react after judge makes ruling on Butler Twp. quadruple homicide suspect’s competency

BUTLER TWP. — A man accused of murdering four people in Butler Twp. last year will not stand trial, at least for now.

A Montgomery County Common Pleas Court judge ruled Wednesday that Stephen Marlow “may currently be incompetent” and does not understand the nature and severity of the charges against him.

>> RELATED: Man accused of killing 4 in Butler Twp. found incompetent to stand trial, but can be restored

Marlow is facing 12 counts of aggravated murder and several other charges for the killings of Clyde and Eva “Sally” Knox, and Sarah and Kayla Anderson in August 2022.

As News Center 7′s Mike Campbell’s reported at 5 p.m., he spoke to people in the neighborhood where the shootings happened. Wanda Pence said she was in shock last year when her entire neighborhood was circled in crime scene tape.

“It was horrible for the family. They lost a daughter, a mother, and a wife,” she said.

Pence said everyone in the neighborhood follows all the developments in the case closely. They watched the competency hearing in September after multiple psychologists examined Marlow.

The judge wrote in his decision that Marlow would be treated at a mental health facility for further evaluation. Both the evaluation and medication could result in his restoration to competency to stand trial.

>> RELATED: Man accused of Butler Twp. quadruple homicide enters insanity plea

No one in the neighborhood around Hardwicke Place and Haverstraw Avenue has forgotten the victims. One neighbor even had crosses honoring each victim in his front yard.

Some neighbors are too shaken up to speak on camera but believe Marlow may be taking advantage of the criminal justice system.

“He’s a very intelligent person and he’s going to fool a lot of psychiatrists and psychologists,” one neighbor said.

Everyone Campbell spoke to in the neighborhood is hoping the decision will change in the future.

“I think it was the best we could hope for at this point in time,” Pence said.

News Center 7 reached out to Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck, Jr. for a comment on the ruling.

“It has always been our position that the defendant is competent, as one of the doctors testified to at the competency hearing.  He will now be provided services at Summit Behavioral, and we hope that he will be quickly returned to Montgomery County so that this case can proceed,” Heck said.

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