Eureka homicide suspect ruled incompetent
A Eureka man facing homicide charges has been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Based on the psychological evaluation of Dr. Jennifer Wilson, Judge Christopher Wilson declared Albert Durant Kress, who was facing charges related to the homicide of 62-year- old Raymond Prudhomme in February 2019, mentally incompetent to stand trial. Wilson referred Kress’s case to the conditional release program, known as CONREP, and county Mental Health.
“Criminal proceedings will remain suspended based upon that submission,” Wilson said.
Humboldt County Public Defender Marek Reavis said Dr. Jennifer Wilson was unable to meet with Kress for an evaluation because he has been refusing to meet with anyone, but she had met with him in the past “at least on two other occasions.”
“She’s familiar with him as an individual and familiar with his history,” Reavis said. “And as she noted, not only would he not come down to court, not meet with his attorney, but also refuses to meet with Dr. Wilson.”
The District Attorney’s Office didn’t object to the findings of the report.
A Eureka police officer conducting a wellness check found Prudhomme dead in his apartment with his throat slashed.
Kress was arrested for the crime following an investigation. Detectives testified at Kress’s preliminary hearing that a witness saw Kress and Prudhomme arguing and it began to turn violent. When it did, they testified she said she turned away and hid in the bathroom, but said she later saw a lot of blood and was threatened by Kress.
The court is set to receive the reports from county Mental Health and CONREP at 10:15 a.m. Jan. 6.