TOWANDA - No decision was made during a competency hearing of John Joseph DeSisti, 75, the Waverly man accused of killing his cousin, Carol Keeffe, and her husband David in their Athens Township home in 2006.
Bradford County President Judge Jeffrey A. Smith will decide whether DeSisti is competent to stand trial before the end of the year, said court administrator Marylou Vanderpool.
According to state police, DeSisti, an accomplished woodsman, hunter and trapper, went to the Keeffe's home on Nov. 16, 2006, and shot them to death with a shotgun. Police say DeSisti killed the well-known pair following a land dispute with Carol Keeffe.
DeSisti's arrest came four years after the slayings. His trial has been postponed at least twice due to requests by the defense, the last time for competency hearings.
Those hearings, slated for earlier this year, also were postponed so DeSisti could undergo medical and psychiatric evaluations.
The defense team of Arthur T. Donato, of Media; Philip Gelso, of Kingston; and Josh Lock, presented three expert witnesses.
The psychiatrists, Dr. Richard Fischbein and Dr. John O'Brien and psychologist Dr. Elliot L. Atkins, all evaluated DeSisti on April 30, and Fischbein said there was "no question" he has Alzheimer's.
Atkins also said he showed signs of cognitive decline, and the court ordered DeSisti to undergo an extensive evaluation at Torrance State Hospital where he was taken in June and declared incompetent to stand trial by Dr. Frank Daly.
The prosecution team argued that DeSisti is faking his symptoms to get out of a jury trial.
