Competency hearing to be held in August for 16-year-old murder suspect
Published 5:04 pm Wednesday, April 22, 2015
A Chilton County judge ordered a competency hearing for a 16-year-old Clanton male charged with murder.
The hearing is scheduled for August 24 at 9 a.m. at the Chilton County Courthouse, where Chilton County Circuit Judge Sibley Reynolds will hear the issue of whether Lonnie Fells is able to stand trial.
Fells is charged with murder for the stabbing death of the teen’s 69-year-old female relative.
The incident occurred Dec. 30, 2013.
Authorities at the time of the incident reported responding to a call of a woman unconscious at her home in the 400 block of County Road 356 in Clanton.
Once on the scene, authorities found Annareta Fells outside her mobile home with multiple stab wounds.
Annareta Fells was pronounced dead on the scene.
Authorities did not provide details at the time regarding the relationship between Annareta Fells and Lonnie Fells.
At the time of the incident, authorities did not provide Lonnie Fells’ identity due to his age, and whether he would be tried in court as an adult or a juvenile.
According to court records, Lonnie Fells was indicted by a Chilton County Grand Jury in August 2014 and later arrested.
In October 2014, Reynolds denied a youthful offender request from Fells, according to court records.
His plea date was scheduled for Monday at the Chilton County Courthouse.
Reynolds filed the order on Monday, stating that the issue of Fells’ ability to stand trial due to his mental state at the time of the alleged event and his present ability to assist his defense counsel will be determined at the hearing.
All parties are to have all necessary witnesses subpoenaed for testimony, according to the order.
Fells is currently in jail on a $100,000 bond.