CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. – A bond hearing for the Chesterfield man charged with killing his father was postponed Tuesday after his public defender agreed with prosecutors' motion for a competency evaluation to determine his state of mind during the alleged crime.
Frank Wyatt, 46, faces charges for the second-degree murder of his father, Richard Wyatt, 69, reportedly committed around March 23 inside their shared Chesterfield home, according to Chesterfield County Police.
The arrest warrant says that Wyatt walked into a Richmond Police station on March 26 and confessed, saying he strangled his father during a fight and pushed him down the stairs when he stopped breathing.
The newly obtained search warrant from Circuit Court details how police tried calling the elder Wyatt without success and found him at the bottom of the stairs inside the home when they searched it.
Neighbors told CBS 6 the family had lived in the house for decades and that the mom had passed away in the early 2000s, while Richard Wyatt retired from the construction industry a few years ago.
“I just wish that he could have lived out his retirement years,” said Alan Harvey, Richard Wyatt’s next-door neighbor. “You know, he earned it. He was a hard-working man. I know that much, which is tragic.”
Frank Wyatt appeared in person during the brief hearing Tuesday and did not speak other than to have his attorney tell the court he preferred to go by the name McCloud.
Police say they've had previous calls at the house, including a domestic assault by the son against the father. Wyatt also pled guilty to a battery charge in Georgia last year.
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In that case, he was also ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation to see if he could stand trial.
Wyatt’s next hearing is set for June 5, where the results of his competency evaluation are expected to be discussed.
We are following this story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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