Court finds suspect in Iowa meat plant murder still incompetent

A man charged with stabbing a coworker to death three years ago will remain in treatment after the Iowa Court of Appeals found him still incompetent to stand trial.

Lukoux Brown, now 29, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 50-year-old Wayne Smith in February 2021. The two worked together at the Prestage Foods pork processing plant in Eagle Grove, where prosecutors say Brown stabbed Smith in the throat in an employee locker room.

Brown’s case was swiftly put on hold after evaluators found he was not competent to stand trial, and he was sent to receive treatment. In January 2022, doctors with the Iowa Department of Corrections reported they believed Brown could not be restored to competence due to his schizophrenia and other conditions, a finding that would trigger civil commitment proceedings. Prosecutors got a second opinion, though, and the trial court ruled in June 2022 Brown now was competent for trial.

More than two years later, the appeals court has reversed that ruling and sent Brown back for yet more treatment. The judges found the DOC experts better qualified, their reports more thorough, and noted that even the prosecution’s expert found Brown struggled to understand the charges and the workings of the legal system. In one instance, the judges noted, Brown suggested to the examiner that the jury might function like “court jesters” for a trial.

Despite this, the appeals court ruled, there were signs Brown might be improving, and directed the trial court to order further treatment in the hopes he might eventually be able to stand trial.

Judge Gina Badding wrote the opinion, which was joined by Mary Tabor. A third judge, Tyler Buller, wrote that he agreed with the outcome, but voiced concern over the applicable standard.

Under Iowa precedent, appellate courts handling competency cases are to review the record and reach their own conclusion about a defendant’s fitness for trial, while in all other states, courts give greater deference to the trial judge and only overturn for extreme errors. Under Iowa’s standard, Buller wrote, Wednesday’s decision is correct, but he suggested the Iowa Supreme Court may wish to revisit that standard to bring Iowa in line with other states.

Lukoux Brown, now 29, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 50-year-old Wayne Smith in February 2021.