Ruston, Ruston (KTVE/KARD) – On May 21, 2024, a pretrial hearing was held in Lincoln Parish Court regarding the Nov. 13, 2023 stabbing at Louisiana Tech University that injured three people and killed one.
Jacoby Johnson, 23, is charged with three counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder for allegedly attacking several people on campus. Johnson challenged a January 2024 ruling that deemed him competent to stand trial, even though he claimed “he heard voices.”
On May 2, 2024, the judgment was reversed by the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Johnson argued in his appeal that the original ruling relied on the knowledge of a certified assistant nurse with no formal training in psychology or psychiatry.
At a pre-trial hearing, the judge said he found the allegations “very confusing” and “different from what was in the report.” Officials said Johnson is currently being held at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and that he will be transferred to the East Louisiana Mental Health System once a bed becomes available for him. Once in the hospital, he will undergo treatment to restore his abilities.
The treatment would either allow Mr. Johnson to be deemed fit to stand trial or be considered incompetent. A sanity review is scheduled for his July 16, 2024 date.
