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Fate of Accused Knife Attacker Uncertain

by KREX News Room
by Kristin Haubrich

Story Created: Oct 6, 2010 at 6:28 PM MDT

Story Updated: Oct 6, 2010 at 6:57 PM MDT

Seven years after a Grand Junction man is accused of stabbing a man more than two dozen times his fate still hangs in the balance. On Wednesday, the case of Troy Mondragon, 45, was back in a courtroom to determine if he was mentally competent and if his case could move to a second trial.

In 2003, police say Mondragon broke into the victim's home and stabbed him 27 times.

Originally, a jury found Mondragon guilty of attempted first degree murder and sentenced him to 40 years in prison. But the Colorado Court of Appeals later ruled that the judge must prove that Mondragon was competent at the time of the trial.

The guilty verdict was then vacated until a mental evaluation could be completed.

Mondragon spent one month in the Colorado State Mental Hospital and officials there tell the court that he is mentally competent.

Assistant District Attorney Richard Tuttle says he's extremely frustrated with this case. "Basically, we're even before square one. We're now at square zero because he's not fit, according to Judge Robison to stand trial because he's still incompetent. Once he's restored to competency, than we can set it for a second jury trial and we'll have to litigate the whole issue again," Tuttle said.

Tuttle says the next trial could be delayed for months or even years.

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