VANCEBURG — A competency hearing to decide if a man charged in the murder of Justin Johnson can stand trial will be held soon.
Preston Walters, 54, of Garrison, is scheduled for a competency hearing on Dec. 8.
Walters has been indicted on murder, eight counts of tampering with physical evidence, one count of abusing a corpse and one count of cultivating in marijuana, more than five plants. He was arrested on March 31, 2017.
Preston appeared in court April 2017 along with Wince Walters, for a pretrial hearing.
In a testimony given by Lewis County Sheriff Johnny Bivens at the hearing, Johnson failed to return home in March which prompted an investigation.
The investigation revealed Preston Walters allegedly shot Johnson, which caused his death.
According to Bivens, Preston Walters claimed he and Johnson were traveling to Preston Walter’s cabin in Garrison. Johnson bent down to unlatch the gate, when he told Preston Walters there was a deer in the field.
Preston Walters allegedly attempted to shoot the deer as Johnson was rising, which caused Preston Walters to shoot him. Bivens was doubtful, saying the trajectory of the shot didn’t match the testimony.
Preston and Wince Walters then concealed Johnson’s body with leaves, making another trip to later place his body in a creek.
Johnson’s body was finally moved to an area on Cooper Ridge Road, where his body was found by turkey hunters, according to Bivens.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s website, a competency hearing is called if there is “reasonable cause to believe that the defendant may presently be suffering from a mental disease or defect rendering him mentally incompetent to the extent that he is unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him or to assist properly in his defense.”
Preston Walters remains in the Lewis County Detention Center on a $250,000 cash or property bond.
Wince Walters was released after posting a $20,000 property bond. Once the bond was posted, Walters was released from the Lewis County Detention Center.
Wince Walters is scheduled for a pretrial conference on Jan. 8, 2020.
