Alzheimer's Patient Won't Be Charged In Killing Before Exam
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Prosecutors will not file charges against an 87-year-old Alzheimer's patient accused of killing his roommate at an assisted living facility until they know if he is competent to stand trial.
A Monday court hearing for Homer Castor was canceled by a judge, who gave prosecutors until June 1 to bring charges against him in the death of 76-year-old Gerald Propp. Police say Castor beat Propp to death on Feb. 21 in the room they shared at Atria Applewood in the Denver suburb of Lakewood.
Police say Castor was difficult to understand and known to wander the facility at night. An earlier encounter between the roommates left Propp, a fellow dementia sufferer, with scratches on his neck.
RELATED STORIES: Homer Castor Story Archive
A judge ordered Castor to undergo a competency evaluation at a state mental hospital.
(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)