WALMART MURDER: Dryden man to take third mental exam
Justin Barkley will undergo a third competency exam after the first two produced conflicting opinions.
The Dryden man accused of killing a UPS driver he claimed was President-elect Donald Trump in the parking lot of the Ithaca Walmart will undergo a third competency exam after the first two produced conflicting opinions by psychiatric examiners.
Justin Barkley, 38, was in Tompkins County Court on Friday following an appearance last month where he attempted to plead guilty to the murder of 52-year-old Candor resident William Schumacher outside the Walmart store at 135 Fairgrounds Memorial Parkway on Dec. 8. Judge John Rowley did not accept the plea following Barkley’s comments and ordered an exam to determine if Barkley is competent to stand trial.
The third exam is slated to take place next week. The court session lasted about 10 minutes, and Rowley scheduled the next appearance for Jan. 19. Rowley indicated it might not be open to the public depending on the contents of the mental exams, which are sealed.
Prosecutors say the Dryden resident intentionally caused the death of Schumacher — the two men were strangers — early Dec. 8. Barkley was indicted on felony counts of second-degree murder and menacing a police officer or peace officer.
After fleeing from the scene, court papers say, Barkley fired a "sound shot" from his rifle to keep law enforcement officers from coming after him once he pulled into the driveway of his Dryden Road home. After a nearly eight-hour standoff, Barkley was taken into custody without a struggle and no injuries to himself or police.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years to life in state prison.
Schumacher was a seasonal UPS driver who had stopped to get something to eat during his overnight shift, according to Susan Rosenberg, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta-based package delivery company. He was about four weeks into his second stint as a seasonal driver of a tractor-trailer hauling packages between UPS processing hubs, she said.
A suspected motive in the crime remains undisclosed by law enforcement officials, though court records indicate Barkley confessed to the murder after being taken into custody.
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