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Attorney: Mental health of teen accused in Franklin Regional stabbings improving

Tribune-Review (Greensburg, PA) - 2/13/2015

Feb. 13--Ten months after Alex Hribal moved through a hallway at Franklin Regional High School randomly stabbing 21 people, his mental condition is finally improving, his lawyer said Friday morning.

During a pretrial hearing, defense attorney Pat Thomassey told Westmoreland County Judge Chris Feliciani that mental health experts need more time to treat the 17-year-old, who is charged as an adult with trying to kill 20 student and a security guard at the school.

"Alex is doing much better. These professional (mental health) experts are helping him tremendously," Thomassey said.

Feliciani gave the defense an additional 30 days, until March 15, to file pretrial motions. Thomassey is expected to ask that Hribal's case be transferred to juvenile court.

Hribal, who was not in court on Friday, could face up to 20 years in prison for each of the 21 counts of attempted murder and aggravated assault.

If the case were sent to juvenile court, Hribal could not be held in custody beyond his 21st birthday.

Police said Hribal ran down a hallway before the start of classes at his high school on April 9 and used two kitchen knives to slash and stab 20 students and a security guard.

Four students were critically wounded.

Thomassey said mental health experts have been treating Hribal for three months and need more time to complete a more detailed evaluation.

Hribal was diagnosed last year by defense experts as being schizophrenic and depressed.

"He was a troubled young man. The mental health experts have helped him a lot," Thomassey said.

District Attorney John Peck didn't object to allowing the defense more time to prepare its case.

However, Peck said he was concerned about having a hearing in early April, near the first anniversary of the attack.

"I realize this is the most important part of the case, if he is transferred or not," Peck said.

Peck said that as the case lingers he may have trouble with some of the victims' availability to testify because they are high school juniors and seniors and could be leaving for college.

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