LANSING, Mich. — The suspect in the May 2017 stabbing death of Kevin Wirth is competent to stand trial. The Ingham County Prosecutor's Office tells wilx.com Larkin Neely's trial could start sometime this fall.
Neely is charged with open murder and armed robbery. He was arrested in Detroit on May 22, 2017, less than 24 hours after the Wirth was found dead in his home in Lansing. Police say they found Wirth's blood on clothes in a dumpster outside Neely's Detroit home. They say they also found DNA evidence in the Radisson hotel room where Neely was staying in Lansing.
Wirth texted a friend a few hours before he was killed, saying he'd met a man at the Nuthouse bar in Lansing and invited him home. He said the man was making him uncomfortable and he feared for his life. He said he was setting the alarm on his house. The alarm went off shortly before 7am. Police found Wirth dead in his living room when they arrived. He had 26 stab wounds.
Neely's competency ruling, which says he's capable of assisting in his own defense, isn't the last step before trial. A judge will have to rule on a criminal responsibility exam too, which would mean he was sane and aware of what he was doing at the time. News 10 and wilx.com will keep you updated on the case.
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