TEXARKANA, Texas–The lawyer appointed to represent a teen accused of shooting his parents, younger brother and an adult sister at their home in Bowie County last year, filed a motion Monday indicating that an expert hired by the defense has deemed him unfit for trial.
Cesar Olalde, 19, allegedly told a man who had gone to the family home in the 500 block of Lemon Acres in Nash, Texas, in the mid-morning of May 23 that he had killed his mother, father, younger brother and adult sister because “they were cannibals and they were going to eat him,” according to a probable cause affidavit. Court records have identified the victims as mother Aida Garcia-Mendoza, father Reuben Olalde, adult sister Lisbet Olalde and younger brother, 5-year-old Oliver Olalde.
Cesar Olalde has been in custody on capital murder charges since the day of the mass shooting. Texarkana lawyer Jeff Harrelson filed a “motion suggesting incompetency of defendant and for court inquiry,” earlier this month and at a pretrial hearing Monday, 202nd District Judge John Tidwell said the court would appoint an independent expert to conduct a second evaluation of Olalde’s competency.
Depending on the outcome of the court-appointed expert’s evaluation of Olalde’s mental status, prosecutors with the Bowie County District Attorney’s Office could seek an evaluation by an expert as well.
First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp said at a hearing in July last year that she anticipated the case could result in a “battle of the experts,” as questions about Olalde’s mental health are raised.
Olalde has been indicted for two counts of capital murder, one count involves the killing of multiple persons in a single episode while the other counts involves the slaying of a person under the age of 10. If convicted, Olalde faces the death penalty or a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
Judge Tidwell scheduled Olalde to return to court for a pretrial hearing in May.
