Columbia murder suspect asks for mental health commitment

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) -

The lawyer for a murder suspect in Boone County asked a judge to commit their client to a mental health facility.

Emma Adams, 20, faces four felonies, including murder, for the killing of Sammy Clemons in January. Her attorney, Jeffrey Hilbrenner, asked Judge Jeff Harris to consider committing her to a Department of Mental Health facility and put the case on hold.

The reasons for the request are sealed. However, a proposed order asks the judge to find that Adams "lacks capacity to understand the proceedings against her to...assist in her own defense, and that she lacks mental fitness to proceed with the charges against her." Hilbrenner declined to provide more details on why he made the request.

State law allows for a judge to put a criminal case on hold while the defendant is committed to a mental health facility. An official with DMH would then report to the court on whether or not they think that person has regained competency to face the charges.

Prosecutors charged her with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with evidence and abandoning a corpse. Columbia police said Adams stabbed Clemons in January at a home in the 2400 block of Bentley Court.

Law enforcement began investigating on Jan. 10 when Clemons's mother asked University of Missouri police to check on him since she had not heard from him. Surveillance video at his residence hall showed him getting into an Uber, which police later tracked to the Bentley Court home the next day. Officers said Adams was at the home when they arrived, and that they found Clemons's body in a burn pit in the backyard. Adams allegedly said she acted in self-defense.