McCOOK, Neb. (AP) – A 19-year-old Bartley man has been ruled competent to stand trial for murder.
Stathis Kirkpatrick is accused of killing 14-year-old Kailee Clapp. The teen’s burned body was found the evening of Jan. 21, 2011, in a Bartley cemetery. She had been reported missing that morning from her McCook home.
Kirkpatrick has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and three other felony charges.
In September, Red Willow County District Judge David Urbom ruled Kirkpatrick wasn’t mentally competent and committed Kirkpatrick for treatment at the state psychiatric hospital in Lincoln.
In court documents, Urbom now says that after reviewing a letter from a psychiatrist and psychologist who treated Kirkpatrick at the hospital, the court has determined that Kirkpatrick is competent to stand trial.
A trial date has not been set.