RICHMOND, Va. -- A Richmond judge ordered a competency evaluation Friday for the man accused of torturing and killing a dog in his care last August.
The evaluation will determine if Wilfred Jeremy Lee, 22, is competent to stand trial based on his ability to understand and rationally participate in a court process.
Lee is facing a felony animal cruelty charge in the death of a pit-lab mix named Monkei.
Wilfred J. Lee was arrested by Richmond Police on August 29 and charged with felony animal cruelty.
Lee was watching the dog for Jillian Webster who was in China teaching English. She says Lee left her a graphic voicemail and Facebook message saying he tortured the dog for five days and killed him.
“He just left a voicemail admitting that he beat her for several days then bound her legs and muzzle and she choked to death,” Wester wrote in an online post. “He left this message with a cold matter-of-fact voice.”
Webster met Lee in a private online forum for locals and vetted him to foster her dog. He was supposed to watch Monkei for one month.
The court will now decide Lee’s competency to stand trial. His case has been continued until April 20, 2017.
