More mental exams sought for man charged in jail death

TEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) — A judge says an outside expert will evaluate the mental state of an Arkansas inmate charged in the killing of a correctional officer.

Circuit Judge Kirk Johnson said Tuesday the expert will evaluate Tramell Hunter to determine whether Hunter can stand trial on capital murder charges for the 2016 death of Lisa Mauldin at the Miller County jail.

The Texarkana Gazette reports an evaluation done by staff at the Arkansas State Hospital suggested that Hunter was faking symptoms of mental illness to avoid prosecution. In 2017, another evaluation found that Hunter was unable to assist his attorney.

Hunter had been assigned to the Miller County jail as part an Arkansas Department of Correction program that allows some inmates to serve their sentences in county jails in need of labor.

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Information from: Texarkana Gazette, http://www.texarkanagazette.com