A judge has ruled that an Ocala man is mentally competent to stand trial for murder.
Defense lawyer Daniel Hernandez of Tampa told Circuit Judge Gary Sanders on Friday that he doesn t object to the report. Hernandez said he has explained the content of the document to his client.
According to court papers, a motion for competency and psychiatric evaluation was filed in January to determine the mental condition of La Mathis Eugene Bread Boy Hamilton of Ocala.
The court appointed Dr. Jennifer Rohrer, who s an expert under contract with the court, to examine Hamilton.
Hamilton, 29, is charged with the first-degree murder of 61-year-old Roland Henry Lanctot, who was found shot to death inside his tent in a densely wooded area near Northwest Blitchton Road and Northwest 33rd Avenue in January 2019.
A jury found Donald Roberts guilty of the offenses in late March. Sentencing was held on Friday.
The 32-year-old Ocala man s lawyer, Jack Maro, of Ocala, said his client was facing five years in prison for each charge. With the verdict, the sentence would be much less, the lawyer said.
Roberts mother, Shirley, told the judge she s the caretaker for her grandson. She said because of her illness, she can hardly work and asked Circuit Judge Gary Sanders to have mercy on her son. It s getting hard on me, Roberts mother told the judge as she cried.
The woman begged the judge to release her son so he can come home and help her. She told the judge if her son is released, he would live with her and take care of his child.