CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Chesterfield County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge Scott Landry found Manisha Nath competent to stand trial Tuesday morning and scheduled a preliminary hearing.
Nath is charged with felony abuse and neglect of a vulnerable adult resulting in death after her son, Somak Nath, died at the hospital Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Judge Landry said a review of a second psychological evaluation showed Nath has an understanding of the charge against her and can assist her council.
The judge also denied a motion by Nath to represent herself, saying, “I wouldn’t be serving justice if you represented yourself.”
In previous hearings, Nath expressed dissatisfaction with her two attorneys and has attempted to talk about the evidence in her case.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 23 at 10 a.m.
A criminal complaint said the 28-year-old victim was nonverbal autistic and could not care for himself. The detective wrote that Somak was found in the driveway following the 911 call.
“Somak was reported to be only 65 lbs indicating possible [mal]nourishment, missing most of his top teeth, and his bottom teeth were rotted,” the detective wrote. “Somak also had grime over most of his body indicating he had not bathed in some time and sores on his back.”
The autopsy found “his organs were already starting to decompose," according to the search warrant.
A search warrant of their Woods Walk Lane home found “little to no food in the kitchen, and an excessive amount of black mold in the residence. There was also a lack of running water and Manisha told police she would just give Somak a bucket of water and mug to bathe himself.”
There were no working toilets either, the complaint said.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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