Casper Man Who Threatened To Kill Federal Judge Found Mentally Incompetent
A man who allegedly threatened a federal judge in Casper earlier this year has been found incompetent to stand trial.
U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson in Cheyenne ruled last week after a hearing that David Michael Chavis was not mentally competent to stand trial,.
"The defendant shall be hospitalized in a suitable treatment for a reasonable period to establish if his competency can be restored," Johnson wrote.
In the meantime, the prosecution asked that his case has been put on hold.
The case started when Chavis sent a letter postmarked Dec. 27, 2017, to U.S. District Court Judge Scott Skavdahl at the federal courthouse in Casper saying he will kill the judge or blow up the courthouse, and that he had the resources to do it, according to a criminal complaint.
Skavdahl forwarded the letter to a U.S. Marshal: "Specifically, the letter stated Chavis '...will have no choice but to "federally reoffend" and I, will kill you or blow up Casper's federal courthouse" I do know how, and I do have the resources/means. I make no empty threats see my actions as of Aug, 05, 2017 8AM -- 11:45 AM.'"
A Natrona County Sheriff's officer forwarded another letter to the Marshal postmarked Feb. 9, 2018, addressed to five people including Skavdahl: "Chavis specifically writes 'I needed to keep myself still attempting to get to trial (one way or another) otherwise, I am at a literal and a virtual impass. And I know of only one last thing which might work and this is to kill a federal employee they will take me to trial for a crime like that, 'SMI or not"".", according to the criminal complaint.
That letter was received before Natrona County District Court Judge Daniel Forgey on Feb. 22 found Chavis mentally incompetent to stand trial in a kidnapping case. That was the second time Forgey had declared Chavis incompetent.
The kidnapping case began Aug. 5, 2016, when Chavis entered the office of the Wyoming Attorney General's Medical Review Panel on Werner Court, and allegedly took a 51-year-old man hostage with a box-cutter.
The building was evacuated, the Natrona County Special Response Team and a Hostage Negotiation Team, handled the incident, and Chavis was arrested.