Murder suspect ruled mentally incompetent

Sat., Jan. 9, 2010

From Staff Reports

A 24-year-old accused killer is not mentally competent to be tried for the crossbow slaying of a Spokane woman two years ago, a judge ruled Friday.

Cole K. Strandberg, charged with first-degree murder for the Jan. 7, 2008, slaying of 22-year-old Jennifer Bergeron, has a “long, long standing history of being severely, severely disturbed,” said Spokane County Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen.

“He needs to be and he must be involuntarily medicated,” Eitzen said.

Eitzen rejected claims from Eastern State Hospital doctors that Strandberg was either faking the symptoms or had experienced methamphetamine-induced psychosis.

She said the two-day competency hearing showed Dr. Randall Strandquist left out crucial information in his reports. She also rejected Dr. William Grant’s suggestion that Strandberg had been faking his mental illness for years to create a defense for murder.

Strandberg, who is accused of assaulting and harassing jailers and court officials, has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

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