HAMPTON, Va. (AP) - The trial of a Virginia woman charged in the death of her son has been put on hold while she undergoes a mental competency evaluation.
Julia Tomlin’s trial had been scheduled to start Monday, The Daily Press reported. But Althea Mease, a public defender representing Tomlin, said in a brief hearing in Hampton Circuit Court that for “a number of reasons,” she wanted a competency hearing first.
Prosecutors didn’t object, the newspaper reported. The hearing is now scheduled for May 20.
Tomlin, 35, faces charges of second-degree murder, concealing a dead body, child abuse and three counts of felony child neglect in the death of her 2-year-old son, Noah Tomlin.
Julia Tomlin reported Noah missing in June 2019, launching a 10-day search. She is being held without bond.
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