| Mental evaluation granted for brutal stabbing suspect |
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Posted: Thursday, November 1, 2012 10:00 pm
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By CHRIS MENEES
Staff Reporter
A request for a mental evaluation was granted this morning for a Greenfield man accused in the brutal stabbing of a Union City woman.
Willie James Walker III, 25, of 215 Poplar St., Greenfield, appeared this morning in Obion County General Sessions Court on felony charges of attempted first-degree murder and theft over $1,000.
The charges stem from the Oct. 11 attack of 27-year-old Christina Jimerson at her home at 611 North Division St. in Union City.
Walker was arraigned on the charges a week ago and was scheduled to appear today for a preliminary hearing. He has remained jailed on a $250,000 bond.
Walker’s court-appointed attorney, Bill Randolph of the public defender’s office, requested a mental evaluation, which was granted this morning by Obion County General Sessions Judge Jimmy Smith.
As a result, the preliminary hearing was rescheduled for Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. in General Sessions.
Before the request was granted, there had been discussion about resetting the preliminary hearing for next Tuesday, but the continuation to December should allow ample time for the evaluation to be completed.
Assistant District Attor-ney Heard Critchlow said the victim had planned to attend the hearing if it were reset for next week, but she will now contact the victim with the new date. She said the victim is still seeing several doctors as she recovers and would have been coming from Memphis.
The judge said it would also likely be better for Ms. Jimerson to have additional time to recover and not have to be in court so soon.
Walker was shackled and was dressed in a black and white striped jail uniform for this morning’s brief appearance before the judge at the Obion County Courthouse.
Walker was brought back to Union City on Oct. 24 to face charges in connection with the attack of Ms. Jimerson three weeks ago at her home. She sustained multiple stab wounds and was airlifted to Regional Medical Center (the Med) in Memphis, where she underwent surgery after the stabbing and has been hospitalized since.
Last week, Ms. Jimerson’s family told The Messenger the young woman is improving but still has considerable recovery ahead, explaining she lost one eye and part of a finger in an attack in which she was stabbed some 60 times.
Union City police went to Ms. Jimerson’s North Division Street home about 8:45 p.m. Oct. 11 in response to a 911 call from a neighbor who heard screaming coming from the residence. Police investigator Susan Andrews said the seriously injured Ms. Jimerson was able to bang on a window, which broke, in order to be heard by a neighbor.
When police officers arrived, they could hear a woman screaming that she had been stabbed. Officers forced their way into the home, where they found Ms. Jimerson bleeding from apparent stab wounds, according to Union City police reports.
Neighbors told police they saw an unidentified man run from the apartment before officers arrived. They reportedly saw the man get into Ms. Jimerson’s silver 1997 Toyota and leave the scene. Police alerted surrounding law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the vehicle, which was recovered early Oct. 12 in Greenfield in Weakley County.
Walker was taken into custody later in the day Oct. 12 in Weakley County on warrants against him there for unrelated charges of domestic violence and failure to appear. He was held there on those charges until a court appearance Oct. 24, after which time Union City police were finally able to transport him back to Obion County to be served with warrants for charges of attempted murder and theft as a suspect in Ms. Jimerson’s stabbing incident.
Staff Reporter Chris Menees may be contacted by email at cmenees@ucmessenger.com. Published in The Messenger 11.1.12 |
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