BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - A man accused of killing his wife with a cleaver and critically injuring his mother-in-law at their Vermont home is expected back in court after murder charges were refiled against him.
Aita Gurung, of Burlington, was initially charged with killing his wife in 2017. But Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George dropped the charges against him and two other violent crime suspects because evidence showed the defendants were legally insane. He had pleaded not guilty.
Attorney General T.J. Donovan said his office would review the cases after Republican Gov. Phil Scott questioned George’s actions. The first-degree murder charge was refiled in September. Gurung’s lawyer plans to use the insanity defense.
WCAX-TV reports that a doctor says he is mentally unfit for trial. Donovan said he plans to challenge that finding noting that Gurung was found competent in December of 2017.
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