Stabbing death will be tried as capital murder case

Raleigh, N.C. — A Wake County judge ruled last week that there will be no pre-trial hearing to determine if a Raleigh man charged with first-degree murder is mentally retarded.

Joseph Sanderlin, 26, was supposed to go on trial in April for the Nov. 8, 2005, slaying of Lauren Michele Redman, who was stabbed and cut more than 20 times inside her Raleigh apartment.

Sanderlin's attorneys, Tommy Manning and Terry Alford, filed a motion in January for the hearing so that their client's mental capacity could be assessed to determine whether he should face the death penalty.

Under North Carolina General Statutes Sec. 15A-2005, a person with an IQ below 70 and issues of adaptive functioning prior to age 18 cannot face the death penalty.

Superior Court Judge Paul Gessner ruled there would be no hearing and set a new trial date for the week of Sept. 29.

If Sanderlin is convicted of first-degree murder, the issue of his mental capacity would come up during the sentencing phase of the trial.

Beside's Sanderlin's, there's only been one other case in Wake County in which mental retardation has been an in issue in a death penalty case – that of Antonio Davon Chance.

Chance, 31, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Wendell woman, Cynthia Moreland, in August 2006. His trial was set to begin in February A hearing on the mental retardation issue is set for Thursday.

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Also, I think it's pitiful that this girl's murder has received so little coverage, even when it first occurred 3 years ago. Just because she bought a little weed from these guys, and they killed her over a $20 dispute, doesn't mean that her story is ‘tainted’ and not worthy of the same coverage of let's say, Eve Carson or Nancy Cooper.

Gooseye
July 23, 2008 12:33 p.m.

You know, there's a difference between being mentally retarded and just plain ignorant. I think this judge just saw through the defense attorney's smoke & mirror games. These animals raped and eviscerated this poor girl, leaving her to crawl out her front door and die on the pavement. Ignorant or not, for that they both deserve death.

Gooseye
July 23, 2008 12:14 p.m.

I agree with the decision. It does not matter his mental state at this point. If convicted then during sentencing the mental issue can be brought up and if it is determined the suspect has a low mental capacity they can address it. I am all for the death penalty and agree that if found to be mentally ill or retarded should not be put to death. This does not mean we not prosecute those that are ill or retarded. We put them in a facility for the rest of their life so they can not harm another person.

didisaythat
July 23, 2008 9:59 a.m.

He killed her in 2005. I hate this for the family.

Three years later, retarted or not, he should be doing serious time, if not on DR. He should NEVER be allowed to return to our "civilized" world. I use "civilized" cautiously...

familyfour
July 22, 2008 9:34 p.m.

Did you read the initial report about what all he did to Lauren??? Of course he's crazy. He has to be to do this to another human being. I knew Lauren personally, and she, nor anyone else for that matter, deserves to be blungeoned as she was...Death Penalty suits him just fine.