Hearing Delayed In Case Of Man That Opened Fire On Kentucky Responders, Killing One

A mental evaluation for a man charged with killing his wife and a Lexington firefighter during a standoff in February should be complete within the next two months, the man's attorney said Friday.

Sept. 3, 2004

2 min read

Add Us On Google

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- A mental evaluation for a man charged with killing his wife and a Lexington firefighter during a standoff in February should be complete within the next two months, the man's attorney said Friday.

Attorney Kirk Bierbauer said Patrick Hutchison still is undergoing the evaluation at the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center. Fayette County District Court Judge David Hayse agreed with Bierbauer and local prosecutors Friday to delay a hearing for Hutchinson until Sept. 17.

It's the third time a scheduled hearing for Hutchinson has been postponed because of his ongoing mental evaluation.

``It's incredibly important that those are done and done correctly before anything else is done in the case,'' Bierbauer said of the evaluation.

Fayette County Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Larson did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on the case.

Hutchinson is charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Lexington police said Hutchinson shot and killed his wife, Fontaine Hutchinson, on Feb. 13, then shot and killed Lexington Fire Lt. Brenda Cowan as Cowan tried to assist Fontaine Hutchinson.

Another firefighter, Jim Sandford, also was shot, but survived. Patrick Hutchinson surrendered after a six-hour standoff with Lexington police at his home.

Related: