MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — A Middletown woman accused of killing her 72-year-old mother in October has been ruled incompetent to stand trial in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
Mekeshia Lattimore, 44, is charged with murder and felonious assault for allegedly stabbing Minnie Lewis to death while she was sitting in a reclinerat her 14th Avenue home on the night of Oct. 30.
During a November preliminary hearing in Middletown Municipal Court, a Middletown police detective said Lewis was stabbed 16 times in the head, face and neck.
At arraignment last month in common pleas court, Judge Greg Howard ordered a forensic psychological evaluation of Lattimore to determine if she is competent to stand trial.
Defense attorney Darrin Nye requested the evaluation after meeting with Lattimore noting his understanding of her “recent mental health issues,” according to court documents.
After reviewing the evaluation Wednesday, Howard ruled Lattimore incompetent at this time, but restorable with treatment. She was ordered to undergo treatment at Summit Behavioral Healthcare.
A re-evaluation of competency has been set for April 16. The prosecution has a year to restore the defendant to competency for trial. Lattimore is being held instead of a $1 million bond.
“I consider this to be a very tragic case in many ways and it highlights my concern and the public’s concern for mental health issues that can lead to unfortunate and lethal consequences,” said Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser. “The system is working and the case will proceed to a conclusion, but that may take some time.”
Lattimore was taken into custody by police while still in the house and initially charged with murder.
Lattimore’s brother called 911 at about 11:40 p.m., telling dispatchers, “my mom just got stabbed in the neck.”
In the gut-wrenching call, Lewis is heard in the background saying, “I am dying.”
Lewis was transported to Atrium Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Detectives say Lewis was unable to make any statements to them before her death.
Two bloody knives were found in a trash can and are being tested for DNA evidence, according to police.
Lattimore had a felony case pending in Warren County Common Pleas Court for grand theft of a motor vehicle from January. At one point in the case, Lattimore was declared incompetent to stand trial due to mental health issues but was restored and pleaded not guilty in October to the charge, according to court records.
In a 2022 Butler County felony breaking and entering the case, Lattimore was found incompetent for trial and restored after treatment. She pleaded guilty to misdemeanor attempted breaking and entering, according to court records.
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