Defendant in Slaying Refuses to Come to Court
A 47-year-old Ventura murder defendant refused to come to court Monday, then screamed and ranted in a holding cell as the jury waited in the courthouse hallway.
Tommy Welch’s outburst prompted Superior Court Judge James Cloninger to call a three-day recess to allow mental health experts to determine whether the defendant is competent to stand trial.
Welch spent two years in a state mental institution before doctors decided he was competent to assist in his defense to charges of strangling his girlfriend, Marsha Rockvam, 45, in August 1997 in Ventura.
A report from two experts is expected Wednesday afternoon, at which time the judge will decide how to proceed.
Welch has pleaded not guilty to murder and not guilty by reason of insanity. His trial began last week.
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