SALEM, MA — State prosecutors in the March stabbing death of a 68-year-old Danvers woman were to have a chance on Monday to challenge a state hospital evaluator's decision that the teen suspect in the case is incompetent to stand trial.
The Essex County District Attorney's Office told Patch last month that it intends to challenge the Bridgewater State Hospital's determination that 18-year-old Anthony DeMayo of Lynn is not fit to stand trial for the stabbing death of 68-year-old Janet Swallow, of Danvers, who was found in the bedroom of her Danvers home in the apparent random killing.
DeMayo was set to be back in a Salem courtroom on Monday.
The then-Bishop Fenwick student was arraigned on murder and home invasion charges in Salem District Court on March 13 and was ordered to undergo the evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital.
"A justice of the District Court made a preliminary finding, without a hearing, based on the opinion of an evaluator at Bridgewater State Hospital, that the defendant is currently incompetent," the Essex DA's Office told Patch in a statement on April 23 in response to the court ruling. "The court's finding was made without prejudice, and the Commonwealth will have the right to challenge Bridgewater's opinion after the case is arraigned in Superior Court on May 11."
Those who lived in the Standish Road neighborhood of Lynn called police after they said they saw DeMayo acting erratically, waving the knife as he walked down the road.
Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said in March that the ensuing investigation led them to the Amherst Street home in Danvers, where they found 68-year-old Swallow dead.
Prosecutors said it appears DeMayo chose to break into the Danvers home randomly after scoping out other homes in that area, and that there appeared to be no connection between the suspect and the victim.
Prosecutors said the teen found the victim sleeping and stabbed her in the neck, and that DeMayo later confessed to the crime.
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