An 86 year old Aragon man accused of murdering his 80 year old neighbor has been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial. According to reports, 86 year old Albert Lee Bennett of 5355 Collard Valley Road in Aragon faces charges of murder, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated battery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Bennett is accused in the 2006 shooting death of 80 year old Vera Elizabeth Nib Hyde. Bennett was arrested and has been detained on these charges since Feb. 21, 2007. He had been sent to the Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital to complete mental evaluations and receive treatment. Floyd County District Attorney Leigh Patterson said she intends to ask that he be involuntarily committed to a mental institution. His trial was delayed pending the results of a mental evaluation, and he had been held at Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital until he was released to the Floyd County Jail earlier this month.
2010-03-15