Smirking Woman Accused of Stabbing Ohio Toddler to Death Deemed Incompetent to Stand Trial

Article here. Excerpt:

'The suspect, 32-year-old Bionca Ellis, has also been ordered to an inpatient treatment facility, News 5 Cleveland reported, citing court records.

Ellis was undergoing a 20-day evaluation when her doctor concluded “that the defendant is incompetent to stand trial, but that there is a substantial probability of restoration to competency within the statutory time frame if provided with a course of treatment,” according to Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas records.

Ellis is indicted on seven charges, including aggravated murder and felonious assault. While incompetent status “does not affect her charges; it pertains to her mental state now, not during the crime,” the report states.

“So assuming at some point, the defendant is competent to stand trial and then at that trial, the defendant could try to present evidence that at the time of the offense, they were suffering from a severe mental illness. And because of that severe mental illness, they did not understand the wrongfulness of their conduct,” Witmer-Rich said.'