A 26 year-old Lake Charles man charged with the second degree murder of his stepfather was declared in state district court Wednesday not competent to proceed.

Authorities state that on Jan. 27, Merrill Simon beat Gregory Cotlong, 68, with a coffee table inside of a residence located at 518 Lebato St. Lake Charles police Deputy Chief Mark Kraus said that officers found Cotlong lying in the middle of the road, bleeding from his head. Cotlong succumbed to his injuries on Feb. 27.

Simon was initially charged with aggravated second-degree battery and battery of the infirmed. But after Cotlong’s death, his charge was upgraded to first-degree murder.

A grand jury on March 30 indicted Simon on one count of second-degree murder. The Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office then dismissed all previous charges in the case.

On Wednesday, a hearing was held on Simon’s competency. Prosecutor Charles Robinson said that reports from psychiatrists Dr. Garrett Ryder and Dr. James Anderson both state that Simon was not competent to proceed. The doctors, he said, state that Simon did not understand the nature of the proceedings and could not assist his attorneys with his own defense.

Defense attorney King Alexander said that both psychiatrists were also of the opinion that Simon was not competent enough at his April 24 arraignment to give a plea, which was entered at the time as not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity.

Judge Robert Wyatt withdrew Simon’s plea and ordered his commitment to a state hospital for not more than 90 days. No further hearing dates were set at that time.

(Source MGN Online)