UPDATE Judge Rules Man Accused of Killing Pregnant Wife Not Fit for Trial
By: Brad Reed
Updated: November 1, 2012
A Fort Smith man accused of stabbing his pregnant wife in the chest outside of the Police Department has been ruled incompetent to stand trial.
James Herring underwent a mental evaluation, and as a result circuit judge James Cox ordered him to undergo further evaluation by the Arkansas Department of Human Services Tuesday.
Police say on May 15th a pregnant woman suffering from a stab wound collapsed in the Fort Smith Police Department lobby and later died at Sparks Hospital. Her unborn baby also passed away.
Celestia Duffin, 32, was driving a car while her husband, James Saylor Herring, 34, was in the passenger seat. According to officials, the couple began arguing about their relationship. They had only been married for about one week.
Officers say Herring is accused of stabbing his pregnant wife in the chest, which caused the vehicle to leave the road and crash into a pole.
According to police, Duffin got out of the vehicle and ran to the nearby police department, where she collapsed in the lobby. Officers say she was taken to Sparks Hospital and pronounced dead. Officials say her 27-week-old baby boy was delivered, but doctors were unable to save him.
As for the husband, police say he was found sitting by the curb near the accident scene.
According to members of Herring's family, he has suffered from paranoid schizophrenia for several years, and also has a history of domestic abuse.
James Herring underwent a mental evaluation, and as a result circuit judge James Cox ordered him to undergo further evaluation by the Arkansas Department of Human Services Tuesday.
Police say on May 15th a pregnant woman suffering from a stab wound collapsed in the Fort Smith Police Department lobby and later died at Sparks Hospital. Her unborn baby also passed away.
Celestia Duffin, 32, was driving a car while her husband, James Saylor Herring, 34, was in the passenger seat. According to officials, the couple began arguing about their relationship. They had only been married for about one week.
Officers say Herring is accused of stabbing his pregnant wife in the chest, which caused the vehicle to leave the road and crash into a pole.
According to police, Duffin got out of the vehicle and ran to the nearby police department, where she collapsed in the lobby. Officers say she was taken to Sparks Hospital and pronounced dead. Officials say her 27-week-old baby boy was delivered, but doctors were unable to save him.
As for the husband, police say he was found sitting by the curb near the accident scene.
According to members of Herring's family, he has suffered from paranoid schizophrenia for several years, and also has a history of domestic abuse.
