BY JANICE MORSE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMILTON -- Tension filled the courtroom Wednesday while loved ones propped up photographs of slaying victim Lisa Weber facing toward the man accused of killing her, Franklin Saunders.
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"See that, he can't even look at Justin's picture," remarked a female relative of Ms. Weber. She was referring to a photo that Ms. Weber's son, Justin, placed fewer than a dozen feet in front of the 39-year-old Blue Ash man in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
The tension dissipated -- a little -- after Judge H.J. Bressler Wednesday declared Mr. Saunders competent to stand trial in Ms. Weber's death.
"Yes!" the woman quietly exclaimed, raising her fists after Judge Bressler announced the competency ruling.
Mr. Saunders, the ex-boyfriend of Ms. Weber, is scheduled to stand trial Nov. 16 on charges of aggravated murder, kidnapping and violating a previous court order forbidding him from possessing weapons.
Mr. Saunders is accused of dragging Ms. Weber, 39, from her car in Butler County's Union Township on June 9, then fatally shooting her in the neck. He surrendered the next day, following an all-night manhunt.
Judge Bressler used a mental evaluation of Mr. Saunders to determine his competency, but sealed that document at the request of defense lawyer Rodney Harris. No one in the case could talk about the evaluation because of a gag order the judge issued earlier.
Mr. Harris told the judge that his client still intends to plead not guilty by reason of insanity -- but he needs the court to pay for expert witnesses to aid his defense. Mr. Saunders has no money for those experts, Mr. Harris said, because his assets were frozen after Ms. Weber's family members filed a wrongful-death civil lawsuit.
A hearing on the issue of hiring experts is scheduled for Tuesday.
