BLOOMFIELD — A Bernie man has been found competent to proceed on a charge of abandonment of a corpse, according to an order issued Thursday by a Stoddard County judge.
The order reportedly had to be entered by Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield before Corey L. Gill can undergo a “pre-trial psychiatric examination on the issue of criminal responsibility.”
Gill’s attorney, Tamara Carlson with the Public Defender’s Office, filed a “notice of intent to rely on a defense of mental disease or defect excluding responsibility.”
The notice says Gill was giving “notice of his intent to rely on the defense of non-responsibility for any alleged criminal conduct because (Gill) as a result of mental disease or defect, did not or could not appreciate the nature, quality or wrongfulness of his conduct or was incapable of conforming his conduct to the requirements of law.”
For Gill to rely on that defense, court officials report he has to be competent at the time he stands trial or enters a plea, including a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
The defense’s notice came after Missouri Department of Mental Health officials filed reports with the court, saying Gill “is no longer incompetent to understand the proceedings against him or to assist in his defense.”
Satterfield’s order says neither the prosecutor, Gill nor his attorney “have requested an additional examination (regarding Gill’s current competency) or have contested the findings” of the Department of Mental Health’s report.
Based on that, the court found Gill is “mentally fit to proceed” and all proceedings shall resume in his case.
Satterfield further ordered Gill to remain an inpatient in a Department of Mental Health facility until such time as NGIR (not guilty by reason of insanity) findings and report are received.
Gill, 51, is charged with the Class E felony of abandonment of a corpse.
Between Nov. 8 and Nov. 19, 2018, Gill is accused of taking “possession of the corpse of Holly Kirkman by removing her deceased body from (his) property and knowingly abandoned (her) at 510 Walter Ave.” in Bernie “without properly” notifying authorities.
Kirkman, 38, according to earlier reports, was reported missing Nov. 17, 2018, by her father, who had last seen her at their 510 Walter Ave. residence on Nov. 8, 2018.
On Nov. 19, 2018, officers reportedly were searching Kirkman’s residence when they found her body inside the trunk of her 2004 Dodge Neon. She reportedly died of a drug overdose.