A 4th District Court judge Wednesday declared an Orem man accused of placing bombs on three buildings incompetent to stand trial and ordered the man to be treated at the Utah State Hospital.
Judge Cullen Y. Christensen stayed all court proceedings against Jim D. Bowcut, 33, until Bowcut becomes competent to stand trial.Bowcut is charged with three counts of placing an infernal machine, second-degree felonies, and four counts of constructing an infernal machine, third-degree felonies.
He is accused of placing bombs on a window of the Orem City Library in January, a window of a Wasatch Mental Health office in February and a window of a Provo LDS chapel in April. The bomb at the church exploded and caused about $3,000 in damage. The other bombs failed to explode.
Christensen made his ruling after reading reports from two doctors who evaluated Bowcut. Drs. Jess Groesbeck and A. James Morgan said Bowcut does not have the ability to comprehend the charges against him or assist in his own defense. The doctors said Bowcut is suffering from mental illness.
Before the hearing, Bowcut's mother, Betty Davies, said her son has been on anti-psychotic medication in the past. However, at the time of the bombings he had quit taking the medication because he did not trust it, she said. She said she hopes that treatment at the hospital will make her son realize that he has an illness.
Bowcut's case likely will be reviewed in six months. If Bowcut becomes competent he could plead guilty but mentally ill and be placed under the jurisdiction of the Psychiatric Review Board.