Trial ordered for Ann Arbor woman accused in fatal stabbing of father
The woman accused of killing her father by stabbing him 25 to 30 times in June will stand trial after a preliminary exam Thursday, court records show.
Susan Wade
Courtesy of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office
Susan Wade, 48, is facing one count of open murder and was in the 14A-1 District Court in Pittsfield Township last week. She’s accused of killing Ronald Mason on June 9 in the home they shared in the 1700 block of Covington Drive in Ann Arbor. Court records show a plea of not guilty was entered before the case was sent to the Washtenaw County Trial Court.
Wade was ruled competent to stand trial at a hearing on Aug. 30, records show. Her family told AnnArbor.com she has a past history of drug abuse and schizophrenia.
The Washtenaw County Public Defender's Office is representing Wade. At the Aug. 30 hearing, a motion made by Wade to dismiss the public defender's office was denied, according to court records.
According to police, Wade stabbed Mason repeatedly after midnight on June 9 when he was sleeping. That same day, Wade allegedly continued the attack when she returned to the bedroom and thought she saw Mason moving.
Wade’s daughter was the one who eventually called police and reported Mason’s death. Police said Wade barricaded herself inside the home before allowing her daughter to enter, showing her Mason’s body. Wade was arrested at the home that same day.
It’s the first alleged murder case to come out of Ann Arbor since 2009.
Wade faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted in the case. She has been charged with open murder, which allows a jury to decide if the crime fits first-degree or second-degree murder.
Wade is currently lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail without bond. She is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in front of Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Donald Shelton.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
Tru2Blu76
Tue, Sep 25, 2012 : 3:56 p.m.
Some comments here suggest there's confusion over what constitutes "competency." From what I've read, if the accused does anything which indicates awareness of the difference between right and wrong actions, then the person in question is declared competent. If you read the series of stories about Ms. Wade, you'll quickly see that her own words and actions on the day she admitted to stabbing her fatherindicate proof that she knew she'd done something wrong. Our feelings of empathy and compassion as well as desire for justice are important. There's nothing wrong with wanting to avoid wrongful punishment for our fellow human beings. It boils down to finding the line between justice and injustice. Thank goodness we're still talking about these things.
Old Salt
Sat, Sep 22, 2012 : 8:13 p.m.
Wht a sad story..Ron Mason and I were classmates from Slauson Junior High through Ann Arbor High School when we graduated in 1944.. He was a wonderful person..
Cathy
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 1:53 a.m.
I predicted this when it was first reported. In Michigan, the bar for competency is very, very low, and if the crime is heinous enough, the accused is going to go to prison regardless of how completely insane he/she is. The prisons are our psychiatric hospitals.
ez12c
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 12:01 p.m.
Nah she is mentally ill so just leave her alone. It's not her fault.
Perry White
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 10:20 p.m.
"It's the first alleged murder case to come out of Ann Arbor since 2009." To come out of Ann Arbor? Where did it go after it left? Seems to me that you should just write "in Ann Arbor." Simple is better.
Elijah Shalis
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 7:49 p.m.
Wow what does it take to be declared incompetent for trial? This lady seems to qualify to me.
nickcarraweigh
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 7:10 p.m.
You got to wonder what it takes to be declared "not competent".
actionjackson
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 6:43 p.m.
Ron was a good friend of my father. Coworker at Detroit Edison for many years. This is all so sad for the family and community. I don't understand who determines "competency" in these proceedings. This sure doesn't sound like a stable woman that allegedly committed this horrible crime.
ez12c
Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : noon
I agree. It was the mental illness that caused the man to die. Besides she may have also been on drugs at the time making her not guilty again. These cops are always trying to make somebody responsible for a crime when it is obviously drugs and incompetency. I'm with you 100% on this one. LOL
GoNavy
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 5:33 p.m.
Well, that's good. Trials are where we uncover evidence, and differentiate between fact and fiction. Aside from that, what else can we ask for?