US Attorney: Motion filed to oppose local sanity evaluation of accused Appalachian Trail Killer

Federal prosecutors are opposing a motion for a sanity evaluation to be conducted locally for accused Appalachian Trail Killer James Jordan.

Court filings in US District Court in Abingdon show the US Attorney’s Office is requesting the court for a custodial psychiatric evaluation to be conducted at a Bureau of Prisons facility, rather than in Southwest Virginia, much like when he was transferred to a federal mental facility in North Carolina to be restored to competency.

Attorneys for Jordan have planned to enter into an insanity plea and have requested the court allow for a sanity evaluation be conducted locally because of COVID-19 risks. Jordan is accused of killing Army veteran Ronald Sanchez Jr and severely injuring another hiker in a stabbing spree on a portion of the Appalachian Trail in Wythe County last May. You can read last week’s story on Jordan’s motion by clicking here.

Documents filed Monday by the US Attorney’s Office can be found below:

J Jordan Opposed Motion for Local Sanity Eval Docs

Photo Courtesy: File Photo