An Indiana teenage boy will undergo a psychological evaluation after reportedly telling detectives that “a shadowy man” made him kill a 6-year-old girl. The 15-year-old’s attorneys are trying to get him declared legally insane.
A psychiatrist and psychologist will examine Anthony Hutchens to see if he’s competent to stand trial in the March 2021 murder of young Grace Ross in the small town of New Carlisle, the South Bend Tribune reported.
According to the Tribune, the local doctors will then submit their reports to the court for review after a Tuesday order from St. Joseph County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Sanford.
On March 12, 2021, Anthony, who was 14 at the time, allegedly molested and strangled Grace to death in a wooded area of Carlisle, 15 miles outside of South Bend. Grace was reported missing by her parents and her body was discovered several hours later.
The accused murderer allegedly told investigators that the girl followed him into the woods near the apartment complex where they both lived before he strangled her under the influence of “a shadowy man,” the Tribune previously reported, citing court records. Anthony ran off and was later apprehended.
Anthony is being held at a youth center in Kokomo. His mother, according to the Associated Press, has testified in a hearing that her son is on the autism spectrum and suffers from a sensory disorder.
The accused killer’s case has been moved from youth court to adult court and his attorneys have reportedly been planning to use an insanity defense in the case. Attorneys have also requested to have the case decided by a judge rather than a jury, the Tribune reported. The evaluations are expected before August.
