VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The man accused of threatening to kill Congressman Scott Taylor and his staff members was ordered to undergo a mental competency review to determine whether he can stand trial.
On June 25 he was found incompetent to stand trial.Court records state he was committed to the custody of the Attorney General who will hospitalize him for treatment in a suitable facility.
Wallace Godwin
Wallace Godwin was charged with threatening to murder or assault a U.S. official.
He reportedly threatened Taylor and two of Taylor’s staffers on March 22, saying, “I am going to get my shotgun and do something about this; I will just handle this myself,” referring to his frustration over marijuana legislation.
Court records state he will be treated for not longer than four months as needed to determine whether a probability that Godwin will have the capacity needed to move the case forward.
Court documents revealed it wasn’t Godwin’s first aggressive interaction with Rep. Taylor. In 2017, Godwin visited Rep. Taylor’s residence and interacted with him outside the home. He also visited the Virginia Beach office once before and yelled at congressional staff members.
Since his arrest, Godwin’s attorney asked the court to allow him to return home under the care and watch of his family, however, the judge ultimately decided the escalation in Godwin’s behavior over the past year was too much of a risk to allow him bond.
Godwin allegedly suffers from degenerative brain disease, dementia and a long list of medical problems that his attorney says has caused his behavior.
If convicted, Godwin faces up to 10 years in prison.
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