St. Pete father accused of killing child’s mother, two-year-old son found incompetent to stand trial
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The man accused of killing his two-year-old son and stabbing the child’s mother to death is headed to the state psychiatric hospital.
A judge ruled Thomas Mosley incompetent to stand trial right now Wednesday morning after reviewing reports from two court appointed doctors who recommended that the state hospital in Chattahoochee is the best place for him right now.
Pictured: Pashun Jeffery and Taylen Mosley.
"I find that Mr. Mosley is not competent to proceed, but he is restorable," Judge Susan St. John said to the courtroom.
Mosley is accused of stabbing Pashun Jeffery more than 100 times in March in St. Petersburg and killing their two-year-old son Taylen. Jeffery was found in her apartment and Taylen was found a day later in a lake close to Mosley’s mother’s home.
Police said evidence puts Mosley at both scenes.
Jeffery and Taylen’s family was in the courtroom Wednesday.
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According to Mosley’s arrest affidavit, he was admitted to the hospital for injuries consistent with slippage during a knife attack the night before Jeffery was found dead. Defense attorneys said at a previous court hearing that Mosley was put under a Baker Act while he was hospitalized.
"This is not a case where he's walking free," Anthony Rickman, a defense attorney not affiliated with the case, said. "It’s not a case where because he's incompetent today doesn't mean he won't be tried in the future. There's a case where, as we sit right now, he's found to be incompetent and as a result, they need to send in the state hospital to restore that confidence."
Rickman said this is fairly common in criminal court. He said there’s a difference between competency and insanity.
"He’s not saying, ‘hey, I was insane at the time of the offense we're talking about.’ As it stands right now, he's not competent to stand trial. And that's different than somebody being insane or raising that insanity defense," Rickman said.
"This is more of a procedural mechanism making sure the defendant is able to assist in his defense," he said.
There will be another court date on April 22 at 8:30 a.m. to see if Mosley is competent.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Mosley, who is charged with two counts of first degree murder, has pleaded not guilty.