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Psychiatric, mental health exams scheduled for Finnegan, Dishman

Posted at 3:21 pm August 30, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Sean Finnegan, one of two defendants in a series of gruesome alleged crimes in Oak Ridge some time between December 2019 and August 2020, including murder, sex crimes, and kidnapping, is pictured above in a mugshot from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.

Psychiatric and mental health evaluations have now been scheduled for the two defendants charged with murder, sex crimes, kidnapping, and abuse of a corpse in a series of gruesome crimes allegedly committed against a 36-year-old woman in a home in east Oak Ridge between December 2019 and August 2020.

The mental health evaluation for Sean Finnegan, 52, the first co-defendant, is scheduled for Monday at Ridgeview Psychiatric Hospital in Oak Ridge. His evaluation was ordered by Anderson County General Sessions Court Judge Roger Miller on Friday, August 21.

Finnegan’s evaluation by Ridgeview is expected to include his competency to stand trial and his mental capacity at the time he allegedly committed the crimes against Jennifer Gail Paxton, the 36-year-old Knoxville woman who was killed, according to arrest warrants. Finnegan’s evaluation is also expected to include an IQ test and an evaluation of his ability to assess his conduct.

The results of the evaluation will be reported to public defender Kathy Kroeger, the court, and prosecutors. The results are usually not available to the public.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: abuse of a corpse, aggravated sexual battery, Anderson County General Sessions Court, Brian Gilliam, Jennifer Gail Paxton, Kathy Kroeger, kidnapping, Marvell Moore, mental health evaluation, murder, Oak Ridge Police Department, Paul Sexton, psychiatric evaluation, Rebecca Dishman, Ridgeview Psychiatric Hospital, Sean Finnegan, sex crimes, tampering with evidence

Evaluation ordered for Finnegan, charged with murder, rape, kidnapping

Posted at 11:06 am August 22, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Sean Finnegan, one of two defendants in a series of gruesome alleged crimes in Oak Ridge between December 2019 and August 2020, including murder, sex crimes, and kidnapping, is pictured above in a mugshot from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.

An evaluation at Ridgeview Psychiatric Hospital has been ordered for a 52-year-old man charged with murder, rape, kidnapping, and abuse of a corpse in a series of gruesome crimes allegedly committed against a 36-year-old woman in a home in east Oak Ridge between December 2019 and August 2020.

The evaluation was ordered for Sean Finnegan in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge on Friday. The evaluation was recommended by Finnegan’s attorney, who was able to show why it should be conducted, Anderson County General Sessions Court Judge Roger Miller said in the order.

Finnegan is represented by Kathy Kroeger, a public defender in the Seventh Judicial District in Anderson County.

The evaluation by Ridgeview is expected to include Finnegan’s competency to stand trial and his mental capacity at the time he allegedly committed the crimes against Jennifer Gail Paxton of Knoxville. It is also expected to include an IQ test and an evaluation of Finnegan’s ability to assess his conduct.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: abuse of a corpse, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape, aggravated sexual battery, Anderson County General Sessions Court, first-degree murder, Jennifer Gail Paxton, Kathy Kroeger, Marvell Moore, Oak Ridge Police Department, psychiatric evaluation, Rebecca Dishman, Ridgeview Psychiatric Hospital, Roger Miller, Sean Finnegan, Seventh Judicial District, tampering with evidence

Prosecutors withdraw death penalty in grandmother’s murder case

Posted at 9:55 am July 26, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Valerie Stenson

Valerie Stenson

Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against an Oak Ridge grandmother charged with first-degree murder in the death of her toddler granddaughter seven years ago.

Announcing the decision, prosecutors cited mental health issues, expense, and the strain put on the local court system in death penalty cases.

The state filed a withdrawal notice, announcing it would not seek the death penalty, in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on March 16. The withdrawal notice has not been previously reported. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated child abuse, aggravated child endangerment, aggravated child neglect, Anderson County Criminal Court, Anderson County grand jury, competency to stand trial, Dave Clark, death penalty, death penalty case, death penalty notice, Donald R. Elledge, first-degree murder, grandmother's murder case, insanity defense, Manhattan Inman, Mart Cizek, mental health evaluation, Norman Lee Follis Jr., psychiatric evaluation, Seventh Judicial District, Thomas Slaughter, Valerie Stenson

Death-penalty defendant to be taken to psychiatric hospital

Posted at 7:57 pm January 10, 2018
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Valerie Stenson

Valerie Stenson

 

The Oak Ridge grandmother facing the death penalty in a first-degree murder case will be taken to a psychiatric hospital where her competency and mental health can be evaluated, according to Anderson County court records.

The defendant, Valerie Stenson, 53, is currently being held at the Tennessee Prison for Women in Nashville. She will be taken to Moccasin Bend Psychiatric Hospital in Chattanooga for an intake scheduled for 1:30 p.m. January 17, according to an order filed in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Wednesday, January 3.

A two-week trial for Stenson had been scheduled for December 2017, but it was canceled and a mental health evaluation was ordered. It’s not clear if or when the trial will be rescheduled.

Court orders filed in August and October called for a psychiatric evaluation of Stenson and a referral to Moccasin Bend, where experts can determine her competency to stand trial and her mental condition at the time of the crime (the insanity defense). [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated child abuse, aggravated child abuse and neglect, aggravated child endangerment, aggravated child neglect, Anderson County Criminal Court, competency to stand trial, first-degree murder, insanity defense, Manhattan Inman, mental condition at the time of the crime, mental health evaluation, Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute, Moccasin Bend Psychiatric Hospital, psychiatric evaluation, Ridgeview Psychiatric Hospital, Tennessee Prison for Women, Valerie Stenson

Grandmother’s murder trial has been canceled, mental health evaluation ordered

Posted at 10:54 pm November 2, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Valerie Stenson

Valerie Stenson

 

CLINTON—Scheduled for December, the murder trial of an Oak Ridge grandmother who is facing the death penalty has been canceled, and a mental health evaluation has been ordered.

On Thursday, Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark in Clinton said he’s not sure if or when the trial for Valerie Stenson, 53, will be rescheduled, and he can’t address why the two-week trial in December has been canceled.

Some of the most recent court documents filed in the case relate to a psychiatric evaluation for Stenson. It’s not clear if that evaluation is related to the cancellation of the trial, which has been rescheduled before, but it does seem that it would be difficult to conduct the evaluation, which could last up to 30 days, before the trial in December.

A status hearing was scheduled for Stenson in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Monday, and subpoenas filed on Tuesday said the trial is off. It had been scheduled for December 4-8 and from December 11-15.

An August 14 order for a psychiatric evaluation that was filed by Anderson County Criminal Court Judge Don Elledge said Stenson was previously evaluated by State of Tennessee experts and determined to be competent to stand trial and to help with her defense. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated child abuse, aggravated child abuse and neglect, aggravated child endangerment, aggravated child neglect, Anderson County Criminal Court, Dave Clark, death penalty, Don Elledge, first-degree murder, Manhattan Inman, Mart S. Cizek, Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute, Norman Lee Follis Jr., psychiatric evaluation, Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services, Seventh Judicial District, Valerie Stenson

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Classifieds

Public Notice: Comment period extended for Draft EA for Lithium Processing Facility at Y-12

EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING … [Read More...]

Public Notice: Draft Environmental Assessment Available for Lithium Production Facility at Y-12

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING FACILITY AT THE Y-12 … [Read More...]

Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment for the Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC) (DOE/EA-2144), Finding of No Significant Impact, and Wetland Statement of Findings

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

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