Judge William Knight determined Quentin Watson to be incompetent to stand trial for the murders of 46-year-old Anita Smith and her 34-year-old nephew, William Lewis, in Franklinton.
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| Quentin Watson |
Knight began the hearing at about 10 a.m. Friday in his chambers as officials of the district clerk’s office were calling roll of those summoned for jury duty.
With the determination of incompetency, Judge Knight order Watson to be taken to East Louisiana State Hospital in Jackson for the purpose of restoring his competency.
Watson pled “not guilty” during his arraignment and continued to profess his innocence during a jailhouse interview with the Bogalusa newspaper.
In the newspaper interview, Watson even claims to have talked with the person he believes to be the real killer and said his confession to police was out of fear for the safety for his family and himself.
Watson said he received a call on his cell phone the day the bodies were discovered and was told that if he said anything, he “would be next.”
Law enforcement discounted Watson’s claims and said he was looking for a way out. They also said the person Watson was referring to was never a suspect and that Watson’s claims are not supported by the evidence collected — which includes his DNA.
It was a contact DNA sample taken from the crime scene that resulted in Watson’s arrest. Watson was arrested for prescription fraud in November 2008 and had his DNA collected by Pardons and Paroles in March 2009.
A backlog delayed the entry of Watson’s DNA into the state system until July 2009 but when it was finally entered, investigators got a hit.
Police began tracking Watson’s movements before bringing him in for questioning when, Franklinton Police Chief Donald Folse said, “he took full responsibility” for the killings.
(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)
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