Man is found competent to stand trial for murder and drug charge

A sanity evaluation will now be conducted.

staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — A man who had to be coaxed out of his Randolph Street house by a hostage negotiator following a fatal shooting there early last year has been found competent to stand trial on murder and aggravated-drug-trafficking charges stemming from that incident.

A psychiatric re-evaluation has found David Klamer Jr., 48, can stand trial in the death of Richard Helms, 43, of Himrod Avenue, who was fatally shot in the head Feb. 22, 2007, and on the drug charge.

After a psychiatric evaluation last year found Klamer incompetent, Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court sent him to North Coast Behavioral Health Care Systems in Cleveland for treatment designed to restore him to competency.

In a Wednesday hearing, the judge concurred with the re-evaluation results and said Klamer can now stand trial because he understands the proceedings against him and can assist in his defense.

But the judge granted a motion by Klamer’s lawyer, Douglas Taylor, to have Klamer evaluated by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio in Austintown concerning the separate issue of whether he was sane at the time of the shooting. Klamer has pleaded innocent by reason of insanity. The judge ordered that evaluation completed within 30 days.

Klamer is a pre-trial detainee in county jail, where he is being held in lieu of $150,000 bond, which Judge Krichbaum continued. The judge ordered Klamer to continue taking the medications prescribed for him for mental health purposes.

Helms went to Klamer’s house to sell him OxyContin and to rob him before Helms, and then Klamer, drew handguns and fired at each other, said Martin P. Desmond, assistant county prosecutor.

Klamer told police he fatally shot Helms during the robbery.

After the shooting, Klamer shoved OxyContin pills into his mouth and expressed suicidal intentions, Desmond said.