A judge suspended criminal proceedings for the suspect in Bishop David O’Connell’s death over concerns about his mental health.
63-year-old Carlos Medina was set to appear in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to go to trial. Medina did not appear for the hearing and instead, his lawyer, public defender Pedro Cortes, argued Medina was not mentally competent to help in his defense.
Medina is now scheduled to appear Oct. 31 at Hollywood Superior Court to begin proceedings evaluating his mental health.
This pivot to mental health court does not mean the end of Medina’s criminal case, said Mark Matthews, an investigator with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
If Medina is found to be mentally incompetent to stand trial, he will be treated and evaluated until such time when he is found competent. If he is found to be mentally competent following upcoming evaluations, then Medina’s criminal proceedings will resume.
The defense is not arguing that Medina was criminally insane or mentally incompetent at the time he’s accused of shooting O’Connell, Matthews explained.
“If there's a particular issue and he can be treated with medication, maybe there's some restoration of his health and faculties that would get him back to where he is competent to stand trial, because a distinction needs to be made: This is his current mental state,” Matthews said.
O’Connell was found dead in his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18 by a deacon after he never showed up for a meeting, authorities said. He was 69.
Two days later, Medina was arrested at his Torrance home after a six-hour standoff with police. Medina’s wife was O’Connell’s housekeeper and he had also done work at the bishop’s home, authorities said. Then-LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said two firearms were recovered during a search of Medina’s home.
According to District Attorney George Gascón during a press conference in 2023, Medina confessed to the killing, but a motive for the shooting has not been publicly revealed.
Medina pleaded not guilty in March 2023 and is charged with one felony count of murder and a special allegation that he used a firearm. He faces up to 35 years in prison if convicted.
