Judge orders mental health evaluation on man charged with attempting to murder officer

A Roan Mountain man facing multiple charges, including the attempted murder of an officer of the Carter County Sheriff's Office, will undergo a mental health evaluation before criminal proceedings against him resume.

On Monday, Anthony Lacy, 20, of Roan Mountain appeared in Carter County Criminal Court. Lacy faces multiple charges in several cases.

Attorney Patrick Denton represents Lacy on the cases involving the charges of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault, vandalism, and coercion of a witness.

It is in regard to those cases that Lacy was ordered to undergo an in-patient mental health evaluation by Criminal Court Judge Stacy Street.

Denton had previously requested a mental health evaluation be performed on his client by Frontier Health. However, attorneys James Bowman and Gene Scott opposed the request for the mental health evaluation. Bowman and Scott represent Lacy on the case involving the charges of first-degree murder - premeditation, first-degree murder - felony, especially aggravated robbery, aggravated robbery, evading arrest, three counts of auto burglary, three counts of theft of property under $500, one count of theft of property over $500, and three counts of theft of property over $1,000. Both Bowman and Scott previously voiced their opposition to the evaluation, saying it could have a negative impact on their ability to defend Lacy on the case they represent him on and in which he faces the death penalty.

Despite the objections by Bowman and Scott, Street granted Denton's request for a mental health evaluation.

On Monday, Denton said he had received the results from that evaluation from Frontier Health.

"We got a recommendation that he have an in-patient evaluation, a 30-day in-patient evaluation," Denton said. "I think we can do that and still be on track for October."

Lacy is scheduled to stand trial on the attempted first-degree murder charge and one of the aggravated assault charges Oct. 24-28. He is scheduled to stand trial on the other aggravated assault charge and the vandalism charge Oct. 31 ? Nov. 4. No trial date has yet been set for the coercion charge. The capital case - for which Bowman and Scott represent Lacy - is currently set for trial in March 2017.

Lacy's co-defendant in the murder, robbery and theft case - 21-year-old Demetrice Cordell - also appeared in Criminal Court on Monday for a status update on his case. Criminal proceedings against Cordell have been put on hold until the state concludes prosecution of the cases set for trial in October.

Cordell's attorney, Assistant Public Defender Melanie Sellers, spoke to the court regarding her client on Monday. She requested that her client continue to be brought to court whenever Lacy appears on his other cases, saying Lacy's other cases could impact the murder case which would also affect Cordell.

"I think it's important that he hears that so he understands what is going on," Sellers said.

Street agreed with Sellers and said Cordell would be scheduled to return to court when Lacy is.

In relation to the murder case against Lacy, Street set motions hearings in that case for December 6 and 7 with a second round of motions hearings set for February 14 and 15. Cordell will stand trial in the murder case at a later date after the court proceedings against Lacy are completed. Cordell faces charges of first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree felony murder, aggravated burglary, three counts of theft of property over $1,000, one count of theft of property over $500, three counts of theft of property under $500, three counts of auto burglary and evading arrest. The state has not announced any intention of seeking the death penalty against Cordell.

The murder case against Lacy and Cordell stem from what police have called a "crime spree" through the Roan Mountain community on July 3-4, 2014 that resulted in the killing of 56-year-old Danny Ray Vance.

The additional cases against Lacy stem from incidents following his arrest in the murder case where he allegedly attempted to murder a corrections officer in the Carter County Detention Center, allegedly assaulted another inmate, allegedly damaged his cell and allegedly attempted to coerce Cordell to change his testimony by offering to pay another inmate to assault Cordell.