AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Manor Independent School District student accused of stabbing and killing another student was found mentally incompetent to stand trial, according to Travis County court documents obtained by KXAN on Tuesday.
Mac Brown Mbanwei, 18, was charged with murder in the death of 18-year-old Darrin Loving after police say he stabbed Loving multiple times with a kitchen knife in a restroom at Manor Senior High School on Oct. 29, according to an arrest affidavit.
The affidavit said a Manor ISD school resource officer found Loving near the lunch area of the school. He was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.
As opposed to standing trial soon, Mbanwei will instead be committed to a mental health or residential facility for no more than 120 days, according to court documents.
Criminal defense attorney Alan Bennett told KXAN in November that an incompetency determination does not mean anyone is walking away from a case.
Within 120 days, Mbanwei will have another hearing to go over the mental health evaluation and a judge will determine the next steps.
KXAN has extensively reported on how the state hospital system has dealt with extended wait times for people to reach beds. Those who are charged with crimes and found incompetent to stand trial are put on a waitlist, which is split into two main groups — a maximum-security list and a non-maximum-security list.
KXAN has done multiple investigations on how that wait can impact mentally ill suspects in jail while on the waitlist.
The court ordered any documents including reports of each expert, psychiatric, psychological or social work related to his mental condition will need to be provided to state attorneys or the attorney representing him, court documents said.
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