Jones withdraws evaluation request

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

A Greencastle man accused in a string of burglaries has withdrawn a request he made in January for a mental competency hearing.

Edward Alan Jones, 26, was arrested on July 31. He stands accused of committing or attempting to commit eight burglaries in the area of Manhattan Road and C.R. 550S in Greencastle between December 2007 and July 2008.

Jones is facing two Class B felony counts of burglary, each punishable by up to 20 years, and a Class D felony count of theft, punishable by up to three years. In addition, he may be deemed a habitual offender, which could significantly increase his sentence.

Jones was released on his own recognizance by Putnam County Circuit Court Judge Matt Headley on Aug. 4, but was ordered held because he was already on probation in Putnam County for a September 2006 Class C felony burglary conviction. Jones was sentenced to five years in the Indiana Department of Corrections with three years executed. He was released from jail in that case on Nov. 1, 2007, and his probation was revoked Aug. 1.

Jones' jury trial was originally set to begin on Feb. 11, but Headley granted a continuation at the request of Jones' court-appointed attorney, Melinda Jackman-Hanlin, on Jan. 27. Headley also granted a motion for psychiatric examination to determine competence to stand trial on that date.

Headley said he would set a new trial date after the results of that evaluation were in. After Jones withdrew his request for the evaluation, Headley set Jones' trial for April 22, with a final pretrial conference date of April 2. Any plea agreements in the case must be filed by March 26.

All the burglaries happened in the middle of the night, court documents said. In every case, the victims were home, but were asleep. On at least one occasion, the perpetrator entered the master bedroom while the victims were sleeping in the same room.

Items stolen during the burglaries included money and jewelry.

Jackman-Hanlin said Jones hears voices and has self-mutilated, and that he has been diagnosed with other mental illnesses and personality disorders.

Court documents said Jones "appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance" when he was arrested. Jones, who was described in a probable cause affidavit as "not completely coherent" at the time of his arrest, told officers he had just taken a dose of Seroquel -- a medication used to manage schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, as well as to treat insomnia and anxiety disorders.

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