The Todd Walters homicide case is inching closer to a trial date, with the scheduling of a pretrial conference by Judge William Martin.
After a status conference held last Friday, the judge ruled that there is still outstanding discovery to be made in the case, and he has scheduled a pretrial conference for January 25th, expecting that at that point the discovery process will be complete and he can then set a date to bring the case to trial. That would be within a month of four full years since the death of Walters’ mother, Ruth Shirey.
The 40-year-old Walters is accused of beating Shirey to death at her home on Diamond Avenue in Indiana. She died hours after the early-morning attack, and he was found driving her car in Altoona later that day. Since his arrest, Walters has undergone a series of mental health evaluations and been involuntarily committed to Torrance State Hospital. He was on medication for his mental health issues before his mother’s death, but his father testified that he had stopped taking them at the time of the beating.to be completed
After delays caused by his mental health issues, including his refusal to believe that his mother was dead, Walters was finally determined to be fit to stand trial in June of this year. In September, his attorney filed a notice that he will pursue an insanity defense. District Attorney Pat Dougherty will ask for a verdict of guilty, or guilty but mentally ill.
