A Dallas man accused of kidnapping and killing 4-year-old Cash Gernon in 2021 has been ruled competent to stand trial after spending years in a state hospital.

Back in May 2021, a jogger found Cash’s body on a street in South Dallas. He had been stabbed to death. Home security footage showed 18-year-old Darriynn Brown taking the sleeping child from his bed in the middle of the night. DNA evidence later linked him to the crime, and he was arrested.

From mentally incompetent to competent

However, Brown never went to trial because doctors ruled he was mentally incompetent. Instead, he was sent to Terrell State Hospital for treatment. Now, nearly four years later, he has been returned to the Dallas County jail after being declared competent.

His lawyer, Heath Harris, says this doesn’t necessarily mean he was mentally sound when the crime happened. He plans to argue that Brown was legally insane at the time, which could change how the case moves forward.

Arguing the insanity defense

Prosecutors will now review Brown’s medical records and may order additional psychological evaluations. If their experts believe he was legally insane when Cash was killed, they could agree to an insanity defense. If not, the case will likely go to trial, where both sides will bring in mental health experts to argue their case.

Judge Stephanie Huff is overseeing the case and wants to keep things moving. However, Harris warned that Brown’s mental state could change again before the trial starts. If that happens, the case could be delayed once more.

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