The suspect accused of cutting a baby from his mother's womb was found mentally competent by a judge Thursday to assist in her defense, despite a psychiatrist's testimony that she is a paranoid schizophrenic.
Allegheny County Judge Jeffrey Manning disagreed with the psychiatrist who evaluated Andrea Curry-Demus, 38, of Wilkinsburg.
At this point, I'm satisfied that she appears competent, Manning said after listening to Dr. Christine Martone and defense attorney Angela Carsia.
Manning asked several basic questions of Curry-Demus, including whether she understood the charges against her.
Homicide, replied Curry-Demus, who appeared for the hearing via videolink between the courthouse and county jail.
Curry-Demus is charged with homicide, kidnapping and related offenses in the death of Kia Johnson, 18, who authorities said was 36 weeks pregnant. Curry-Demus then tried to pass off Johnson's son as her own, authorities said.
Carsia said she was disappointed with Manning's finding and was considering her options. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday.
I don't think she's capable of effectively assisting with her defense, Carsia told Manning.
Carsia said she had difficulty communicating with Curry-Demus when she met with her in jail for about 25 minutes on Tuesday. Carsia agreed with Martone's diagnosis that Curry-Demus was incompetent to stand trial.
Martone testified that Curry-Demus was a paranoid schizophrenic who had been hospitalized many times.
Curry-Demus was unable to give a coherent account of what she was charged with, is a danger to herself, and had poor insight and judgment, Martone said. Curry-Demus denied having auditory hallucinations, Martone said, but also appeared to be responding to internal stimuli.
Her judgment is psychologically impaired, Martone said.
Court records from two previous cases show Curry-Demus had been diagnosed with major depression and a mixed personality disorder. She was twice briefly committed to a state mental hospital.
In 1990, she stabbed a woman in an apparent plot to steal her newborn, and the next day, she kidnapped a baby from a hospital. She pleaded guilty in both cases and was released from prison in 1998.
