BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- After being found permanently incompetent and spending more than 10 years in a mental health facility, a Stoddard County man was arrested Monday night on charges stemming from 2004 stabbing death of his stepbrother.
Justen Lee Patterson, 35, of Bloomfield was "picked up at Farmington at a hospital last night," said Stoddard County Chief Deputy Andy Holden. "He had been in the hospital for quite some time.
"He was released from there; that's where we picked him up from."
Patterson subsequently was booked at the Stoddard County Jail, where he is being held without bond on the Class A felony of second-degree murder and unclassified felony of armed criminal action.
He is accused of the Sept. 4, 2004, stabbing death of Vernon Eugene Lipsey, 18, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. The stabbing occurred during the early morning hours at Patterson's then Bowman Street residence in Bernie, Mo.
"In 2004, the original murder case was filed, and I believe in 2005, it may have been 2006, within a year or so, he was found permanently incompetent," explained Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver.
At that time, Oliver said, Missouri Department of Mental Health officials determined Patterson was unable to assist with his defense.
"He has been there, receiving treatment ever since that order was entered," Oliver said.
In 2011, Oliver said, a probate case was filed and a probate order issued saying the Department of Mental Health was to "notify me if his status changed or he was going to be discharged."
About 30 days ago, Oliver said, he received a letter informing him Patterson was going to be discharged.
"The only way he could be discharged is if he was found to not be permanently incompetent anymore," Oliver said. " ... I spoke with the Department of Mental Health, and they told me that the reason for the discharge was he was no longer permanently incompetent."
Oliver refiled the charges against Patterson on Nov. 1.
"Yesterday was his scheduled discharge date" as had been provided in the state's letter, Oliver said. "I had not heard anything; I sent mental health a certified letter and included a copy of the warrant to ensure he wasn't released into the community."
Having not been contacted by the mental health officials or informed about Patterson's discharge, Oliver said, he contacted them and was told "they were going to keep him there, which was somewhat contradictory to their finding of (him being) not permanently incompetent."
Oliver said deputies went and picked Patterson up Monday on his scheduled discharged date.
"They went and executed the warrant and brought him back for proceedings to resume in Division II," Oliver said.
Patterson is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges at 9 a.m. Thursday before Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield.
The probable-cause affidavit signed by then Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Don Windham in 2004 and refiled with the court says witnesses at the scene stated "they heard a scream and when they went to investigate, they saw a shadow enter Justen's bedroom.
"The witnesses stated that they heard Vernon (who was in another bedroom) screaming and noticed that he was bleeding. The witnesses stated that after they saw the shadow enter Justen's room, they checked the room and the door was locked."
No one reportedly entered or exited the room until law enforcement officers arrived and "talked Justen into coming out," Windham said. Patterson reportedly surrendered without incident.
After his arrest, Patterson was interviewed. "During this interview, Justen confessed to stabbing Vernon," Windham said.
Lipsey, according to earlier reports, was found dead inside a bedroom at the 409 Bowman St. home. A subsequent autopsy determined he died of multiple stab wounds to the chest.
No motive was known at the time of the stabbing.