Rather than stand trial in court, the man accused of beating to death his two nephews with a bolt cutter in Arcadia and attacking his estranged wife in La Cañada Flintridge with a wood-splitting tool will be sent to a psychiatric hospital.
On Jan. 11, Judge Roberto Longoria of the Mental Health Courthouse ruled that former LCF resident Deyun Shi, 45, is mentally incompetent to stand trial, according to multiple media reports. That means Shi is unable to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings or to rationally assist his lawyers in the conduct of defense.
Shi reportedly will receive treatment at Patton State Hospital, a forensic psychiatric hospital in San Bernardino County.
The criminal case against Shi was put on hold in July, after Shi’s attorney’s raised the issue of mental incompetency. The case will resume if he is deemed competent, with the next court date on April 18 set for a status report and a hearing at Pasadena Superior Court.
Shi has pleaded not guilty on all charges with which he was charged on Jan. 22, 2016, a day after he allegedly murdered his nephews, Anthony Lin, 15, and William Lin, 16. He also was charged with injuring his estranged wife, Yujing Lin, during an assault at their LCF home.
Shi allegedly attacked his nephews while their parents, including Lin’s brother David, were visiting Yujing Lin in the hospital.
Following the alleged double homicide, Shi fled to Hong Kong, where authorities there took him into custody. He was extradited back to the U.S. shortly thereafter.
— Mirjam Swanson
