VENTURA COUNTY ROUNDUP : Ventura : Man Indicted in Girlfriend’s Slaying
A former Ventura resident has been indicted in the August 1997 slaying of his girlfriend, but defense attorneys say the defendant may not be competent to stand trial.
Tommy Welch, 41, was arrested two years ago on suspicion of strangling his girlfriend, Marsha Rockvam, in a room they shared at the Ventura Inn in downtown Ventura.
Prosecutors charged Welch with one count of murder, but on two occasions Ventura County judges declared him mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Under court order, Welch spent several months at state hospitals in San Bernardino and San Luis Obisbo counties. Earlier this month, court records show, he was sent back to Ventura County to stand trial after doctors declared him mentally fit.
But at a Superior Court arraignment on Wednesday, Welch’s attorney again expressed doubt about the defendant’s competency. No plea was entered and Welch was ordered to undergo another psychiatric evaluation.
A court hearing is set for Oct. 20, at which time a judge will decide whether the case should proceed to trial.
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