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A murder suspect that was deemed unfit for trial in April, was back in court Friday -- and was once again deemed incompetent.

Castaic Woman Accused Of Murder Deemed Incompetent

A murder suspect that was deemed unfit for trial in April, was back in court Friday — and was once again deemed incompetent.


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Denise Ann Gillis, 48, of Castaic, was booked on a murder charge in June 2014, when she was arrested near her family’s home shortly after her father, James Gillis, was found stabbed to death.

James Gillis’ death was reported Sept. 5 at 9:15 a.m. on the 31900 block of Emerald Lane, in a small residential community called Stonegate.

Gillis was deemed not mentally competent for trial in Department 95 of Los Angeles County Superior Court on April 24, according to Ricardo Santiago, spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office.

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According to Penal Code 1367(a): A person cannot be tried or adjudged to punishment while such person is mentally incompetent. A defendant is mentally incompetent for purposes of this chapter if, as a result of mental disorder or developmental disability, the defendant is unable to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings or to assist counsel in the conduct of a defense in a rational manner.

The ruling did not mean the suspect wouldn’t face trial at some point, Santiago said.

On Friday May 15, Gillis’ attorney declared a doubt about her competency once again, and the judge suspended criminal proceedings, said Julie Kramer of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, who is prosecuting the case.

Gillis is set to appear back in court on June 5 in San Fernando, to check in with the status of her competency, Kramer said.

KHTS AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio

Castaic Woman Accused Of Murder Deemed Incompetent

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About Kimberly Beers

Kimberly Beers is a Santa Clarita native. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from California State University, Northridge in 2013. While attending the university, she focused her attention on news writing and worked as a primary news writer for the campus' award winning radio station and televised news program. She began writing news stories for KHTS in 2014 and hopes to have a lifetime career dedicated to writing and sharing the news