Attorneys for woman accused of killing MU student requests she be moved to mental health facility
Attorneys for Emma Adams
By Grace Gilles
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COLUMBIA, Missouri (KOMU) — A 21-year-old Columbia woman charged with stabbing and killing an MU student appeared in Boone County court on Tuesday for a hearing.
Emma Adams faces several charges, including second-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence and abandonment of a corpse in connection to the death of Samuel Michael Clemons.
Adams allegedly stabbed the MU student and former Jefferson City resident with a knife and attempted to burn his body in a fire pit at a home in the Bear Creek subdivision in January.
Adams pleaded not guilty to the charges after she initially refused to appear in court. She is being held at the Boone County Jail on a $1 million cash-only bond.
However, at Tuesday’s hearing, Adams’ attorney suggested she be moved to the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) in order to “gain competency” to best prepare for her trial.
According to her legal team, Adams has been evaluated by a doctor, who requested she be moved to a “suitable hospital facility.” The state objected to this.
Additionally, the state said the court has not appointed a psychiatrist to conduct an evaluation on Adams. They argued it must do so in order to determine whether or not Adams is competent.
According to the state, Adams’ legal team hired a privately-retained doctor to complete this initial evaluation. The state claimed they are not opposed to a court-ordered evaluation of Adams by the DMH, or any other psychiatrist, as long as they are court-appointed.
Adams’ attorney stated the main reason they hired a medical expert to evaluate Adams was to expedite the process. According to her legal team, the process of having the court appoint a psychiatrist can take months to get done.
If Adams is found competent by a psychiatrist she will remain in the Boone County Jail, according to her attorney.
The court did not resolve this issue on Tuesday. Adams is set to return for another hearing on July 28.
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