BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - A Vermont man who once had a murder charge against him dismissed after he was found by prosecutors to be not fit to stand trial pleaded not guilty Friday to a first-degree murder charge.
The Vermont attorney general’s office said Louis Fortier, 40, entered the plea Friday in court in Burlington.
Fortier is accused of stabbing to death 43-year-old Richard Medina near downtown Burlington on March 29, 2017.
Two years ago, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George dropped the charges against Fortier, and two other violent crime suspects, because evidence showed the defendants were legally insane.
The cases were refiled by the attorney general’s office after Republican Gov. Phil Scott questioned the dismissal of the cases.
Fortier is still being held at the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital in Berlin and he will remain there.
On Friday, Fortier’s defense attorney, David Sleigh, said he was confused about what motivated the attorney general’s office to reinstate the charge when his client is still being held at the state’s secure psychiatric facility.
“I want to take a look at why prosecute Louis and why now,” Sleigh said.
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