NEWS

Woman accused of beheading baby 'incompetent'

Kevin Grasha
kgrasha@enquirer.com

A mentally ill woman accused of beheading her infant daughter has been deemed incompetent to stand trial.

De'asia Watkins, 20, is charged with aggravated murder in the killing of her 3-month-old daughter, Jayniah. She faces up to life in prison. The case against Watkins is now on hold.

"Right now," her attorney Norm Aubin said in an interview, "because of her mental illness, she cannot understand the nature of the charges, she cannot aid in her own defense."

At a hearing Tuesday in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, Judge Charles Kubicki Jr. said Watkins will undergo treatment intended to restore her ability to understand the proceedings and assist in her own defense. Another competency hearing is set for Oct. 26.

If she is still determined to be incompetent at that time, it is expected that she will undergo another six months of treatment.

At that point, after a year of treatment, it is legally possible for Kubicki to retain jurisdiction over the case. He could commit Watkins to a psychiatric facility until she is restored to competency.

Aubin said that typically, "if you're not restored within a year…chances are you're never going to be restored."

Watkins has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Two psychologists have examined her and determined that with medication she eventually could be found competent.

In court, Watkins appeared thin. Her hair, once wild and unkempt, was braided tightly against her head. She did not speak.

The incident happened late in the evening of March 15 or the early morning of March 16 in Watkins' aunt's home in College Hill. Jayniah had been placed there by Hamilton County's Job and Family Services.

The agency took custody of the child and temporarily placed her with an aunt, on the condition Watkins not be allowed in the home. Watkins had been hospitalized, declared a danger to Jayniah and ordered to stay away from her.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters and others investigating the case have blamed Jayniah's death on a lethal combination of severe mental illness, a difficult family situation and the inability of the social services system to provide around-the-clock supervision for every child with unstable or neglectful parents.