Casper Man, Accused Of Murdering Father, To Undergo Evaluation
A Casper man charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his father will undergo a mental health evaluation to determine whether he is fit to proceed through the judicial process.
Vincent D. Hayes is charged in connection to the shooting death of William Johnson earlier this month. If convicted, he faces between 20 years to life behind bars.
He has not had an opportunity to enter pleas to the charges.
According to a motion filed on Monday, attorneys for Hayes are requesting that Hayes be evaluated by the Wyoming State Hospital Criminal Justice Service on an in-patient basis with an examiner chosen by the hospital.
Under the law cited in the motion, if it is determined there is reasonable cause to believe that the accused (Hayes) has a mental illness or deficiency making him unfit to proceed, all further proceedings shall be suspended.
The evaluation is due within 30 days of the motion being filed.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case, Hayes suffers from multiple personality disorder and one of his personalities was named Reno. The evening of the shooting, "Reno" and Johnson began arguing over lifestyle choices.
At some point, court documents state, both Hayes and Johnson retrieved handguns and were waving them at each other.
According to the affidavit, Johnson sat down in a recliner and said something Hayes didn't like, so Hayes shot his father (Johnson) several times.
Court documents state that Hayes told investigators he woke up early Friday and found his father shot to death. He also reportedly told investigators that it appeared as though his father's body had been dragged.
The affidavit states that Hayes found several 9mm shell casings scattered a few feet away from a chair.
According to court documents, Hayes told police that "Reno shot (Johnson)." Shortly before the shooting, Hayes told police he heard Johnson say, "It would be better if I just killed Reno" before hearing his father load a handgun.
Court documents state Hayes told police that under the control of "Reno," he fired his handgun several times at Johnson and several rounds struck his father.
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