Watson judged incompetent to stand trial for double murder

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.

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)

Arrest made Friday in woman's murder

Crystal Marie Iglehart
(Courtesy Mississippi DOC)

Lafelix D. Miller, 29, first arrested two hours earlier on a variety of charges, is also being held in connection with the murder of 24-year-old Crystal Marie Iglehart of Columbia, Miss.

Miller was arrested on the murder charge early Friday morning.

"When the body was discovered in his front yard (about 2 a.m.), he immediately became a suspect," said Bogalusa Chief of Police Joe Culpepper.

Lafelix Miller

Culpepper said Miller had been arrested about two hours earlier on a complaint about a disturbance. That complaint led officers to charge him with indecency, as he was running naked down the street. He was also charged with resisting arrest and battery on a police officer.

Miller is said to have an extensive criminal record.

Culpepper said evidence frecovered from his person, the crime scene, the autopsy and from witness statements led to his arrest earlier Friday.

Iglehart's last known address was 610 Park Ave. in Columbia, according to the Mississippi Parole Board. She had been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and flight-escape. She pled guilty on Jan. 16 in Columbia to charges of escape of a felon.

An area merchant said street talk was that the victim was a prostitute thought to be a “new arrival” in Bogalusa and that she had been severely beaten and strangled.

On Friday morning, Culpepper said police had no evidence that Iglehart was a prostitute.

(This is a reader news tip story.)