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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Murder Suspect To Undergo Sanity Test

From Staff And Wire Reports

A College Place teenager accused of suffocating his sister and her friend will undergo a sanity evaluation, a Walla Walla County Superior Court judge has ordered.

Daniel Betournay, 15, will be examined at the Child Study and Treatment Center near Tacoma, possibly next week.

Judge Yancey Reser signed the order for evaluation Monday after Betournay pleaded innocent by reason of insanity to two counts of first-degree murder. The youth earlier entered a standard innocent plea.

Betournay is accused of killing his sister, April Betournay, and her friend, Beth Garbe, both 14, binding their hands and feet and putting plastic bags over their heads on Dec. 14 at the Betournay home.

Betournay is scheduled for trial April 3.