Murder charge on hold for now
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, April 22, 2004
The prosecution of a Marysville man in connection with a teenager’s 2002 slaying went into legal hibernation Thursday because of the defendant’s mental illness.
A second-degree murder charge was dismissed against Todd Lee Brodahl, 20, after experts at Western State Hospital determined he is too mentally ill to assist in his own defense.
Brodahl will remain at the mental hospital undergoing treatment. If he recovers sufficiently, he will be returned to Snohomish County to face the murder charge, deputy prosecutor John Adcock said.
Although the exact nature of Brodahl’s problems remains undetermined, his heavy use of methamphetamine before his arrest is considered a factor in his mental illness, according to court records.
The development in Brodahl’s case came just one day shy of the second anniversary of the killing of Brady Sheary, 18.
The slain teen’s mother, Tammy Sheary, was in court Thursday for the brief hearing. She vowed to be there again if the case against her son’s alleged killer is reinstated.
Adcock said the law is clear in cases such as Brodahl’s.
Under state law, a defendant must be able to assist his attorney at trial and must fully understand the proceedings and charges against him. If he can’t, he’s not competent to stand trial and charges must be dismissed, with the option of being brought back later.
Superior Court Judge Stephen Dwyer made a point Thursday of noting that state law also requires notification to prosecutors and Sheary’s family if Brodahl’s mental health is sufficiently restored.
Brady Sheary and Brodahl knew each other because they both used meth. Prosecutors allege Brodahl beat and stabbed Sheary and left his body in the parking lot at Cedarcrest School. The slain teen was spotted by police in Brodahl’s company a few hours before the killing, which apparently was motivated by jealousy over a girl. Genetic tests showed Sheary’s blood smeared in Brodahl’s car.
Brodahl has been confined in the mental hospital since early 2003. He was in the county jail in Everett on Thursday and participated in the hearing via a video link.
A thin man with a sparse beard, Brodahl said nothing. He simply stared into the courtroom camera, at times rapidly blinking his eyes.
Reporter Scott North: 425-339-3431 or north@heraldnet.com.
