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WILTON, Conn. There will be no jury trial for Aaron Ramsey, 22, who stands accused in the May 3 slaying of his father at their Wilton home.
Ramsey's state-appointed lawyer, Howard Ehring, said he will request that his client be tried by a three-judge panel. He made the statement after a hearing at Stamford Superior Court on Tuesday morning.
Ehring said he will enter a plea of not guilty because of mental illness once Ramsey completes a final psychiatric evaluation. His next court date is set for Oct. 26.
The court agreed to allow Ramsey to continue to be held involuntarily at the Whiting Forensic Institute in Middletown. Whiting is a part of the Connecticut Valley Hospital system for the mentally ill.
When originally charged in May, Ramsey was reported to have told police that he killed his father by beating him with a bench and stabbing him several times. The report stated that Ramsey also told police he had been hearing voices and had to find out who the fakers and manipulators are" and that he was "tasked to put people on trial." In the report, he also said the voices told him that aliens were after him.
Ramsey has been under an involuntary hold at Whiting since Thursday. The facility's 15-day hold will be continued indefinitely, Ehring said. An exact diagnosis of Ramsey's condition is still unknown.
In addition to the hold, a $50 bond was set for Ramsey, to be paid when Whiting declares him not to be a danger to others. This was done so he could get credit for his completed jail time, and so state marshals could be used to transport him to and from the court, Ehring said.
During Ramsey's brief appearance Tuesday, the court heard that it was unlikely that he would be released.
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