Trial Cleared in Homecoming Parade Deaths

STILLWATER, Okla. (CN) - The woman accused of killing four people with her car at Oklahoma State University's homecoming parade is competent to stand trial, a judge ruled Thursday.

State District Judge Louis Duel's ruling clears the way for Adacia Chambers, 25, to face a preliminary hearing on April 7. Duel based her ruling on a competency report filed by the Oklahoma State Forensic Center.

Chambers faces four counts of second-degree murder and 46 counts of assault and battery by means of force likely to produce death. She faces up to life in prison on all counts.

According to a probable cause affidavit, a gray Hyundai Elantra struck a police motorcycle at the Oct. 24 morning parade, then plowed into a crowd near a crosswalk at an intersection. Killed at the scene were Marvin Lyle Stone, 65, Bonnie Jean Stone, 65, and Nikita Nakal, 23. Nash Lucas, 2, died later.

Chambers "admitted to having a history of suicidal attempts" when she was booked, and said "she was suicidal at the time of the incident but not at the time of booking," the affidavit stated.

Defense attorney Tony Coleman, of Oklahoma City, told reporters outside the courtroom that he was not surprised by the judge's ruling and that "we anticipated" it.

He said he was not surprised the judge's findings on competency were so different than the defense's findings, which were performed closer in time to the crash.

"Factors played into when [the prosecution] did theirs," Coleman said.

He declined to answer whether he would pursue an insanity defense.

"We are just going to let things develop as they are going," Coleman said. "We will wait until we get all of the discovery in our hands and go from there."

Coleman expects discovery to be "quite voluminous," and said the prosecution has yet to complete gathering requested items.

Coleman said his client was doing "as well as could be expected."

The first judge assigned the case recused herself in November after learning that she is friends with one of the victims.

Follow @davejourno

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