SUPERIOR COURT
Debbie Lurie-Smith debbie@jcnews.com
Over 750 days after her arrest for the charge of murder, the mental competency of an inmate in the Jones County jail remains a question.
Sharon Strawder Wood appeared in Jones County Superior Court via Zoom Nov. 30. She was arrested Nov. 20, 2021, and charged with one count of murder following the shooting death of Lamar Price. A Jones County Grand Jury indicted Wood Dec. 14, 2021, on charges of malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault.
In an interview after the shooting, Jones County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Lt. Kenny Gleaton said Price died from a single gunshot wound to the head, and Wood admitted to the shooting. The investigator also stated that there was not much doubt that mental health would be a part of the investigation of the case.
The Nov. 30 proceeding was a status hearing about the case. Chief Superior Court Judge Brenda Trammell presided over the hearing. District Attorney Wright Barksdale prosecuted the case, and Wood was represented by defense attorney Floyd Buford.
The status hearing was a follow up from a Nov. 9 hearing, during which Barksdale asked the court to get involved by ordering the evaluation be done. Trammell complied and ordered that Wood’s evaluation be completed by Nov. 30.
Dr. Kiana Wright, assistant state forensics director in charge of doctors who do evaluations, attended the Nov. 30 hearing as the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities representative.
She referenced a letter sent to the court about an evaluation that was completed Nov. 21. The letter had been sent to Superior Court Judge Terry Massey, but Trammell had received a copy.
Copies of the letter were given to Barksdale and Buford, and they read the letter for the first time in court.
The district attorney was frustrated after reading the document.
“They did the evaluation, and we have a letter saying another evaluation is needed,” he said.
Barksdale noted that this was Wood’s second evaluation. He asked Wright what had changed since the June 2022 evaluation that said the defendant was competent.
The doctor said she did not do the evaluation but was working off reports of those who did the evaluation. She said she was concerned that Wood needed a criminal responsibility evaluation.
Trammel said Wood was entitled to a hearing on her competency, and Wright said it would be up to the court to decide if she was competent.
The judge said there had actually been three evaluations for Wood. She said from reading those reports, it appeared that the defendant can be restored to competency while being treated but immediately decompensates.
Wright said that is correct. Barksdale asked the doctor if she was subpoenaed to testify, would she say Wood was incompetent to stand trial. She did not reply to the question immediately but after further prodding from the judge, Wright said yes, she would say the defendant was incompetent.
Trammell then put the decision to the attorneys.
“Here’s the question. Do we wait for another evaluation or have a trial on the issue of competence?” the judge asked.
Buford consented to a trial of competency, and Trammell said it would be a bench trial.
“We have a murder charge that has been here over two years,” she said.
District Attorney Wright Barksdale and defense attorney Floyd Buford see the letter for the first time in court about the mental evaluation of Sharon Wood from the doctors who evaluated her.
DEBBIE LURIE-SMITH/Staff
