Motion claims teen murder suspect is unfit to stand trial
TEXARKANA, Texas — A motion suggesting that Cesar Olalde is not fit to stand trial has been filed in Bowie County District Court.
Olalde, 18, is charged with capital murder of multiple persons and capital murder of a child under 10 for allegedly killing his parents and siblings in their Nash, Texas, home.
Olalde’s public defender, Jeff Harrelson, filed a motion suggesting incompetency of defendant earlier this month, according to court records.
“The defendant has made statements that call his current competence to stand trial and his sanity at the time of the alleged offense into question. At defendant’s request, the court appointed an expert to evaluate defendant’s psychological and mental health issues,” the motion states.
The expert’s evaluation of Olalde concluded the defendant is incompetent under Texas law to stand trial, according to the motion. The motion also suggests the court appoint a “disinterested expert” to evaluate Olalde.
Olalde has a hearing with Judge John Tidwell scheduled Monday at the Bi-state Justice Building, according to court records.
Olalde remains in the Bi-state Detention Center on a $10 million bail.
Olalde allegedly killed his parents, Reuben Olalde and Aida Garcia, along with older sister Lisbet Olalde and 5-year-old brother Oliver Olalde on May 23, 2023, at the family’s home in Nash, according to an arrest affidavit.
Each person had been shot repeatedly, and police found multiple spent cartridges on the floor.
Punishment for capital murder in Texas is either the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Prosecutors in Bowie County have not yet announced if they will seek the death penalty for Olalde.
A coworker of Lisbet Olalde went to the Olalde house the morning of May 23 when Lisbet did not show up for work. The coworker and another family member were able to get inside house, where Cesar reportedly met them with a gun, according to the affidavit.
The coworker told police Cesar said he had killed his family because they were cannibals and were going to eat him, according to the affidavit.