After a hearing last week in Westmoreland County Court, Todd Walters is scheduled for Plea Court next month on charges related to an attack on a fellow patient at Torrance State Hospital.
Walters, who is awaiting trial in Indiana County Court for the beating death of his mother in 2015, is charged with strangulation, simple assault, and harassment. State police said that on April 18th, Walters assaulted the victim “by surprise”, putting him in a chokehold and causing a cut finger and muscle strain. Hospital attendants stopped the unprovoked attack.
After numerous delays for mental issues, Indiana County President Judge William Martin last month declared Walters finally fit to stand trial for the death of 72-year-old Ruth Shirey, who was beaten in February of 2015 at her home on Diamond Avenue in Indiana and died later that day at Indiana Regional Medical Center.
Judge Martin set a trial date of February 18th. However, this past Friday attorney Gary Knaresboro filed a notice of mental infirmity and a notice of expert evidence of Walters’ mental condition, and a motion for an extension of time to file a notice of a defense of insanity or mental infirmity. That could delay the trial even further.
Walters is charged with homicide and aggravated assault in his mother’s death. He remains in involuntary commitment at Torrance.
