An initial hearing for a Hope man accused of stabbing his son to death was delayed after the defendant had difficulties with the video conferencing session from the jail and was eventually transported in a wheelchair to the Bartholomew County Courthouse.
The initial hearing was held Friday morning in Bartholomew Circuit Court for James T. Mee, 77, of 222 Scott St., Hope. Earlier this week, Mee was formally with murder for the Jan. 7 death of his son, Charles A. Mee, at the Mee residence.
The 50-year-old victim died at Columbus Regional Hospital from a stab wound to the neck, as well as blunt force trauma to the head, according to court documents.
Judge Kelly Benjamin ordered that a pre-trial conference or change of plea hearing be scheduled for 8:45 a.m. May 28, while a tentative trial date has been set for 8:30 a.m. June 23. The judge also ordered that James T. Mee would continue to be held at the Bartholomew County Jail without bond.
On Friday, Benjamin initially tried to use a video conference linking the courthouse with the jail for the initial hearing. Since nurse Lucinda Weisner was able to repeat every question the judge asked, there were no technical problems.
However, the defendant appeared confused about where Benjamin’s voice was coming from. When Weisner repeated the judge’s questions, James T. Mee responded with a mostly unintelligible murmur. That prompted Benjamin to call a half-hour recess, and bring him to the courtroom for a face-to-face initial hearing.
Just prior to the hearing resuming, James T. Mee asked his court-appointed attorney, Chris Monroe, why he had been brought to the courthouse.
After Monroe explained to him that he was accused of killing his son, he replied, “I killed my son?”
When Monroe said the murder was committed with a knife, James T. Mee still appeared confused. “With a knife?” James T. Mee responded. “I didn’t kill my son.”
After Benjamin later asked the defendant if he knew why he was in court, James T. Mee responded: “Well, ‘somebody’ said I killed my son.”
After the judge explained the murder charge, James T. Mee still asked for the specific charge he was facing later in the hearing.
He also told Benjamin he was a Vietnam War veteran, and that he had been prescribed medication, but he didn’t know what type of drug it was.
“I stopped taking it long ago,” he said. “Never had an effect on me when I did (take it).”
Monroe repeated several of the defendant’s answers to the judge as James T. Mee was speaking softly throughout the hearing.
Family members told investigators that James T. Mee had been suffering from dementia and paranoia that was directed, in particular, at his wife Barbara and his son Charles, according to court documents.
A probable cause affidavit in the case includes a transcript of the 911 call placed at 6:39 a.m. Jan. 7 by Charles A Mee, who tells dispatchers “My dad stabbed me in the throat.” A short time later, the victim “coded” according to investigators and was later pronounced dead at Columbus Regional Hospital.
The affidavit also stated that James T. Mee told investigators when asked what happened, “He’s in there … I stabbed him … he’s dead … I probably killed him.”
James T. Mee’s wife told investigators that her husband is sick and didn’t know what he was doing when the stabbing occurred.
Near the end of Friday’s hearing, Monroe informed the court he may be requesting competency hearings and psychiatric evaluation through the Indiana Department of Correction.
Monroe said it’s too early to say whether James T. Mee’s mental health will become a factor in his defense.
“But based on what we’ve seen here today, it may be a valid consideration,” Monroe said.
