Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Potter Barrett said she received word Thursday from the Arkansas State Hospital that a capital murder defendant accused of beating a correctional officer to death has been deemed competent and responsible.
Tramell Mackenzie Hunter allegedly used his bare hands to beat Correctional Officer Lisa Mauldin, 47, to death Dec. 18, 2016, in the kitchen of the Miller County jail. Hunter, 29, is charged with battery of a peace officer for allegedly attacking Correctional Officer Damaris Allen moments after he delivered the fatal blows to Mauldin.
The case has been on hold since Hunter's lawyer, Ron Davis of Little Rock, first sought and received a court-ordered mental evaluation of Hunter in March 2017. Experts at Arkansas State Hospital have repeatedly found Hunter not fit to proceed because of mental illness. If a defendant cannot understand the proceedings unfolding around them or assist their lawyer in preparation of a defense, movement in a case is suspended until competency is restored through medication, therapy, or both.
Barrett, who announced in 2017 that she will seek the death penalty for Hunter, said she received a call Thursday from an official at the state hospital informing her that Hunter is competent to proceed to trial and that he has been deemed responsible at the time of the alleged murder and assault. Barret said Hunter is being transferred Monday from the state hospital to the Arkansas Department of Correction to continue serving a sentence he received for shooting his mother and uncle in the course of stealing his mother's car.
Hunter pleaded guilty in 2011 to aggravated robbery and domestic battery in Pulaski County as part of a plea agreement, which includes a 15-year sentence, according to ADC's website. Hunter completed a mental health program in 2011 and an anger management program in 2015, according to the ADC site. His parole eligibility dates on those convictions are listed as Sept. 1, 2020.
At the time of Mauldin's death, Hunter was on loan to the Miller County jail from A.D.C. as part of the Act 309 program which allows for the placement of prison inmates in county jails, for example, where they provide cheap labor and enjoy a less restrictive environment. As a 309 inmate in Miller County, Hunter was allowed to leave the jail campus and perform work in the community. Inmates sentenced to death, convicted of sexual offenses, murder, or who have a history of escapes or attempted escapes are not eligible for the 309 program.
Efforts made in the wake of Mauldin's murder by local legislators to amend the statute to add violent offenses such as aggravated robbery and battery to the list of ineligible convictions for 309 placement were unsuccessful, Rep. Carol Dalby-Texarkana, said in a previous interview. Local jail officials do have discretion to reject proposed 309 placements, an A.D.C. spokesperson said in an earlier interview.
At his initial court appearance in December 2016, Hunter's hands were marred by cuts, scratches and stitches, and he appeared to admit to killing Mauldin, stating, ""I just want to apologize to everyone for what happened. I just felt like she was messing with my life."
Hunter pleaded not guilty to both charges in March 2017. If convicted of capital murder he faces life without the possibility of parole or death by lethal injection.