Gary Abernathy/The Times-Gazette Matthew Kaleb Pierson prepares to leave the courtroom following a hearing on Monday to set a timeline for further hearings and his trial for the murder of his niece, 5-year-old Jada Beth Williams.
Updated 11:20 a.m. An insanity defense is off the table for now for Matthew Kaleb Pierson, the man accused of the August 2012 murder of his 5-year-old niece.
In a hearing Monday morning in Highland County Common Pleas Court, Judge Rocky Coss noted that the results of a "not guilty by reason of insanity" evaluation found that while Pierson was initially incompetent to stand trial, he was not insane at the time of the murder.
Pierson's defense team, J.D. Wagoner of Hillsboro and Bruce Wallace of Mt. Orab, had originally hoped to present the insanity defense. But after the hearing, they both told The Times-Gazette that they will now likely offer a traditional not guilty defense, and have no plans at this time to seek another medical opinion on the insanity issue.
Coss set a trial date for Aug. 19, with a final pretrial on Aug. 6. A hearing on a defense motion to suppress an alleged confession by Pierson is set for July 1. Monday, June 17, 2013
Fifty-two KAMP Dovetail volunteers began the week with a 7 a.m. "Polar Bear Swim" with director Linda Allen Monday to get a quick refresher before hundreds of special-needs campers converged at Rocky Fork State Park for the 32nd annual weeklong event.
Five decades ago, Lowell McCarty opened an engineering office in Adams County. He moved the office to Hillsboro in 1967, and this Friday an open house will be held celebrating the company's half a century of existence.
A dispute between the city of Hillsboro and the general contractor of the city's upgraded wastewater treatment plant is likely heading to arbitration.
Returning with a new home and possibly even more scholarship money for the winner and runners-up is the 2013 Miss Greene Countrie Queen Pageant. Monday, June 17, 2013
Jeannette Knauff started visiting the Highland County Senior Citizens Center long before she became a member in 1983. (1 comments) Friday, June 14, 2013
The annual dinner of the Highland County Chamber of Commerce will be held Thursday under tents on the front lawn of the Scott House. Friday, June 14, 2013
It was with much anticipation that my dad and I made a return trip to the state meet in Columbus last Saturday for the first time in several years. Friday, June 14, 2013
Out in the middle of nowhere, I began snaking up this gravel road, up a curvy hill, and very soon realized that this was not going to work. Tuesday, June 11, 2013
The Hillsboro American Legion Post 129 baseball team opened its wood bat tournament with a 7-1 loss to Findlay Post 3 at Richard Shaffer Park Friday. Friday, June 14, 2013
Both of Hillsboro's reoccurring problems showed themselves as Circleville swept the Post 129 baseball team Tuesday at Richard Shaffer Park. Wednesday, June 12, 2013
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