Judge: Bathtub drowning suspect to be forcibly medicated
PITTSBURGH (AP) – A judge wants a Pennsylvania woman accused of drowning her two young sons in a bathtub to be forcibly medicated at a state hospital for 60 days.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Allegheny County Judge Jeffrey Manning issued the order Thursday after hearing from the psychiatrist treating 42-year-old Laurel Schlemmer.
The McCandless Township woman is charged with homicide and accused of holding her sons, 6 and 3, under water in April 2014 after hearing “crazy voices.”
Manning has ruled Schlemmer mentally incompetent to stand trial because Dr. Christine Martone says Schlemmer continues to suffer from delusions, can’t cooperate with her defense attorney and is refusing psychotropic medications.
Manning says that once Schlemmer is properly medicated and competent she’s to be returned for trial immediately.
The attorneys can’t comment because of a gag order.