VT-Jordan Lawyer killed father and injured mother with bat-two prior attacks on parents-10/11/24

[Parsnip]

Judge orders competency evaluation for man accused of killing father and injuring mother with bat - VTDigger

Jordan Lawyer had previously been found incompetent to stand trial in an attack on his parents in 2022, according to court records. He entered not guilty pleas Monday to assault and murder charges stemming from the latest attack on them Friday in Enosburgh.

vtdigger.org

“Jordan Lawyer had previously been found incompetent to stand trial in an attack on his parents in 2022, according to court records. He entered not guilty pleas Monday to assault and murder charges stemming from the latest attack on them Friday in Enosburgh.”

<SNIP>

“Jordan Lawyer had twice previously been found incompetent to stand trial on charges stemming from two previous alleged attacks on his parents, most recently in 2022.”

 

[Parsnip]

Jordan Lawyer arrested in relation to suspected homicide; Victim identified as father, Todd Lawyer

ENOSBURGH – Vermont State Police arrested an Enosburgh man, Jordan Lawyer, this past Friday morning, Oct. 4, in connection with a suspected homicide.

www.samessenger.com

“State police took Lawyer into custody not long after at around 11:15 a.m. Friday when he was apprehended in downtown Enosburg.


Lawyer had been traveling east heading toward Enosburg when a state trooper tried to initiate a standard traffic stop on his black Jeep. Lawyer tried to outrun the police, but his vehicle was eventually stopped when it collided with a game warden vehicle in central Enosburgh.”

He fled the scene but was apprehended after he crashed his car into a game warden’s car in the town of Enosburgh.

 

[Parsnip]

Son to be arraigned today for hammer, baseball bat murder/assault on parents - Vermont Daily Chronicle

Lawyer has a long history of mental health issues and was found incompetent to stand trial in Vermont Superior Court for a March 2022 charge of aggravated domestic on his parents, who survived that attack.

vermontdailychronicle.com

“Lawyer has had ongoing mental health issues, according to family members and authorities. Police have responded to multiple disturbance calls to the Lawyer home in the past.

After the March 2022 domestic assault case was filed in court in Franklin County, a judge approved a request for a psychiatric evaluation for Lawyer, records show.

A state judge later ruled the son was incompetent to stand trial and the Department of Mental Health was left to deal with Lawyer, officials said.

Both victims were believed to have been employees at Mylan Technologies in St. Albans. They reportedly had just arrived home after working the midnight shift.”

 

[kaen]

Seems like this murder and assault was just a matter of time. These poor people had to have lived in fear..... how could they ever feel safe if he was so mentally ill but not in any sort of facility?

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Misery. This is the same village /area where Roberta Martin was sexually assaulted / murdered recently.
The town must just be reeling in pain. And misery.

 

[Occam's Zebra]

Seems like this murder and assault was just a matter of time. These poor people had to have lived in fear..... how could they ever feel safe if he was so mentally ill but not in any sort of facility?

There is no state mental health facility in VT - not since 2011-ish. And there's no system of forensic mental health care (MH care for people who've been criminally charged and found not competent to stand trial). But why a man who'd attacked his parents twice was still living with them is eye opening. Though given the lack of MH care in this state, I'm not surprised.

 

[Parsnip]

But why a man who'd attacked his parents twice was still living with them is eye opening. Though given the lack of MH care in this state, I'm not surprised.

If I understand you correctly, while the state judge ordered that in the prior case, he was found not competent to stand trial and was meant to be cared for by the state, there is actually no state facility for mentally ill offenders? Talk about a vicious cycle!!

I live in a much more populous state, and we only have two facilities (I believe) that house and treat the adjudicated mentally ill. I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised that VT is lacking the in that regard.

What a sad state of affairs that families have nowhere to turn…either house their violent and dangerous child, or turn him/her out on the street to fend for himself/herself, and put the child and public at risk.