At a King County Superior Court hearing Wednesday morning, lawyers for Michael LaRosa and the King County Prosecutor met with judge Theresa Doyle as a continuance was issued to give doctors more time to work with the accused hatchet murderer to determine his mental competency to stand trial.

LaRosa was ordered to be examined at Western State Hospital for fitness to stand trial after the mentally ill man was charged with the brutal Thanksgiving week hatchet murder of 14th Ave resident Joe LaMagno.

This is the second continuance ordered in the case.

26-year-old LaRosa, charged with one murder and suspected in another and who has told police he has been “diagnosed as being schizophrenic and Bi-Polar,” is undergoing evaluation at Western State Hospital. According to the document authorizing his examination, LaRosa was to be assessed by both a psychiatrist and a psychologist and testing could include psychological and medical tests. The document also states that that LaRosa may undergo “voluntary treatment” facilitated by Western.

(Image: John Lok/THE SEATTLE TIMES with permission)

In interviews with police after his arrest for the Monday, November 22 hatchet murder at 15th and Union, LaRosa told police he had stopped taking his medication because it “did not make him feel good and he did not like the side effects.” LaRosa told police he was a patient at 16th Ave’s Sound Mental Health.

Western’s report on LaRosa is required to cover the following:

C(l). A description of the nature ofthe examination;

C(2). A diagnosis of the defendant’s mental condition;

C(3). COMPETENCY: an opinion as to the defendant’s capacity to understand the

proceedings and to assist in defendant’s own defense; If the report concludes the defendant is

incompetent to proceed, an opinion whether psychotropic medications are necessary and

appropriate to restore the defendant’s competency;

C(4). An opinion as to whether the defendant is a substantial danger to other persons or

presents a substantial likelihood of committing criminal acts jeopardizing public safety or

security, unless kept under further control by the court or other persons, as required by RCW

C(S). An opinion as to whether the defendant should be evaluated by a County Designated

Mental Health Professional under RCW 71.05.

The 58-year-old victim LaMagno was remembered by his neighborhood in a vigil the Tuesday night after his death.