Springfield teen accused of killing brother ruled competent for trial

A Springfield 16-year-old accused of killing his younger bother last year was found to be competent and ordered to stand trial.

Clark County Common Pleas Court Judge Douglas Rastatter found Nicholas Starling competent after an evaluation concluded he’s able to understand court procedure and aid his defense attorney.

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“(The evaluation) opined, within a reasonable degree of psychological certainty, that the defendant is capable of understanding the nature and objective of the proceedings against him and assisting in his defense and that he is, therefore, competent to stand trial,” according to the judge’s ruling.

The court document says both the prosecution and the defense accepted the findings.

Starling is accused of killing his 14-year-old brother, Harley Starling in October 2016. Harley was found dead in his bed at his Superior Avenue home on the morning of Oct. 31. He had been beaten with a baseball bat and stabbed several times in the neck, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.

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Nicholas Starling allegedly confessed to killing his brother by beating him with a baseball bat and then stabbing him, police said.

Springfield Police Division Detective Ron Jordan testified in an earlier court hearing that Nicholas Starling admitted he and his brother had been in a previous argument over Halloween candy, according to court records.

READ: Springfield boy beaten, stabbed; brother charged

Nicholas Starling allegedly told detectives he later went into his brother’s room while he was sleeping, and struck him in the head with a baseball bat 14 to 15 times. The teen then stabbed his brother with a knife in the neck, according to court records, to stop the “noise” the younger brother was making after the beating.

The court set a trial date of Nov. 28 at 9 a.m.

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