The attorney for Todd Walters yesterday filed a notice to pursue a defense of insanity or mental infirmity in the beating death of his client’s mother more than three years ago.
The 40-year-old Walters is charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault. 72-year-old Ruth Shirey was found in her Diamond Avenue home in Indiana early on the morning of February 20th, 2015. She had been severely beaten and died later in the morning at the Indiana Regional Medical Center. Her son was arrested later that afternoon, driving her car in Altoona.
After numerous mental evaluations at Torrance State Hospital, where he was involuntarily committed by Judge William Martin, he was declared competent to stand trial in June of this year. In July, Martin appointed Gary Knaresboro to defend Walters after his previous attorneys stepped aside. The previous defense team, led by Leonard Ambrose III, had also intended to pursue a defense of insanity.
