Court to Determine if Brewster Resident is Competent to Stand Trial for Manslaughter

Xavier Parker of Brewster has been in Rensselaer County Jail since August on charges of manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.

Police allege Parker stabbed Donald Gooding, 32, in Gooding’s Troy apartment in March.

The 18-year-old appeared in court Dec. 19 for a competency hearing.

According to the Albany Times Union, prosecutors have called this a complicated case and said that Gooding and Parker were acquainted, but would not say why Parker faced a manslaughter charge instead of a murder charge.