03/27/2020- The suspect in a 1976 double murder in Marinette County has been found not currently mentally fit to stand trial. That ruling was made at a competency hearing for 83-year-old Raymand Vannieuwenhoven who’s accused of shooting and killing David Schuldes and Ellen Matheys in McClintock Park more than forty years ago. Dr. Steven Benson administered the court-mandated competency exam for Vannieuwenhoven and testified at Thursday’s hearing that Vannieuwenhoven is suffering from paranoid preoccupations and other deficits as the residual effects of a stroke and could not, at this time, aid in his own defense, but that there is the probability that Vannieuwenhoven’s competency could be restored through appropriate treatment and medication.
Both the prosecution and the defense agreed that a competency restoration program would be an appropriate course of action and Judge Jim Morrison ordered that be completed at one of the state’s inpatient facilities. There was disagreement, however, as to whether there should be an involuntary medication order requiring Vannieuwenhoven to receive psychotropic drugs. Vanniuewenhoven’s attorney said his client objected to that, but Judge Morrison ruled it was a necessary move in this case.
A re-evaluation of Vannieuwenhoven’s competency is required to be completed within 90 days. The court has tentatively scheduled a status conference in the case to discuss any potential findings for June 24th.