Attorneys: Plea deal in the works for man charged with murdering mother, hiding body
A plea deal is in the works for a Troy man charged with killing his mother and hiding her body in a closet, according to attorneys on the case.
During a pretrial hearing Feb. 23 via Zoom before Judge Rae Lee Chabot of Oakland County Circuit Court, defense attorney Michael McCarthy said he’s been in discussion with prosecuting attorney Ricardo
Polanco for his client, Uriah Lee Scott, to opt out of a trial and accept a plea deal.
“Mr. Scott is very interested in coming to a resolution,” McCarthy said, and that an offer is expected “in the reasonably near future.”
Polanco confirmed that a resolution “has been tendered” and is being “explored.”
Scott, 44, is charged with open murder for the death of Cynthia Scott, 61, whose body was found at her residence in the Troy Villa mobile home park on March 20, 2019. She died of blunt force trauma to the head and chest, according to the Oakland County Medical Examiner.
Testifying during a preliminary exam in about three months after the slaying, Cynthia Scott’s other son, Albert Perez, described the relationship between his brother and mother as
“strained, tumultuous, dysfunctional,” according to court records.
Scott underwent a competency evaluation at the state’s Center for Forensic Psychiatry in 2019. He was initially found to be incompetent, but that’s changed due to prescribed medication he’s taking while in the Oakland County Jail, McCarthy said, adding that competency is expected to be maintained in that way.
Scott’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 27.