A judge continued a competency hearing for 91-year-old Duane Marvin, the Anchorage man accused of killing his wife.
The state received a report about Marvin’s competency Tuesday and asked the judge to continue the hearing for 30 days so prosecutors can take time to talk to experts and understand what’s in the report.
Marvin faces first- and second-degree murder and tampering with evidence charges. Police say he shot his wife in the head in mid-May. Marvin’s family says he has dementia and the shooting was an accident.
The judge called the case “tragic on so many levels” and ruled it was “appropriate” for the prosecution and the defense to take their time reading and understanding the expert report.
If the judge rules Marvin incompetent to stand trial, it must then be decided if he can improve with treatment. If treatment is unlikely to help, the judge can then dismiss the charges against him.
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