2A • April 22, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Rescued Gearhart turtle dies despite medical care Smith to go to state hospital for testing Judge finds reason to doubt mental fitness By Kyle Spurr EO Media Group A Clatsop County Circuit Court judge ordered accused murderer Jessica Smith be sent to the Oregon State Hos- pital to determine if she is mentally ill or faking her be- havior. Judge Cindee Matyas found there is reason to doubt Smith¶s mental ¿tness to proceed based on her re- cent suicide attempt and an inconclusive report from a court-appointed psychologist. The judge ordered Smith stay at the state hospital for up to a month to be evaluated and observed. A court hearing that was scheduled for later this month was canceled. After the hospital stay, Smith will be transferred back to Clatsop County Jail. A sta- tus hearing is scheduled for late May. Judge Matyas previously said in court that she has not observed any unusual behav- ior from Smith, but still ap- pointed psychologist Brooke Howard to do an independent JOSHUA BESSEX/EO MEDIA GROUP Jessica Smith is led into the Clatsop County Courthouse for a status hearing in March. evaluation after consider- ing a defense expert’s claims that Smith has severe mood changes, abstract thinking and reasoning and untreated men- tal health issues. Howard determined Smith suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but could not conclude whether she is un- able or unwilling to aid and assist in her defense. In her report, Howard rec- ommended Smith be sent to the state hospital for observa- tion. Both the prosecution and defense have also requested Smith be transferred to the state hospital, but under dif- ferent terms. Clatsop Coun- ty District Attorney Josh Marquis requested Howard re-evaluate Smith at the state hospital. Defense lawyers Da- vid Falls and Lynne Morgan asked the court to send Smith for treatment, which would take much longer than an evaluation. Marquis warned in court that if Smith is sent for an in- de¿nite stay for treatment, the clock starts ticking, and after three years the defense can move to dismiss the case. Smith’s mental ¿tness to proceed is ultimately up to Judge Matyas. The judge will use the re- port from a certi¿ed evaluator at the state hospital to help determine Smith’s mental state. The report is expected to uncover whether Smith suf- fers from a mental disease or defect, and if she is able to understand the nature of the court proceedings. If she is found to lack the ¿tness to proceed, the report will offer a recommendation for treat- ment and services to restore her capacity. If the state hospital exam- ination cannot be conducted due to Smith’s unwillingness, Matyas ordered, the report should offer an opinion as to whether the unwillingness was a result of a mental dis- ease. Matyas further ordered that the report should not make ¿ndings or conclusions re- garding Smith’s mental state during the alleged crimes. Smith, 42, of Vancouver, Washington, is accused of murdering her toddler and at- tempting to kill her teenager at a Cannon Beach resort in 2014. The trial is scheduled for June 2017. By Lyra Fontaine Cannon Beach Gazette A rescued olive ridley sea turtle, found comatose and hypothermic near Gearhart in December, died while completing her ¿nal rehabil- itation stage before summer release into the wild, the Oregon Coast Aquarium re- ported Wednesday, April 13. Marine life experts at SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue Center discovered the tur- tle in her rehabilitation pool Tuesday morning. The turtle, named “Thun- der” and known for being particularly large and strong, was rescued after washing ashore on Del Rey Beach af- ter severe storms. Thunder and another re- habilitated sea turtle named “Lightning,” found in 3aci¿c City, were Àown to SeaWor- ld in March from the Ore- gon Coast Aquarium, which initially cared for the turtles after their December strand- ings and rescues. “Thunder didn’t appear to be in that bad of shape, but you never know what causes them to strand until they’ve been treated,” said Laura Todd, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife ¿eld supervisor in 1ewport, SUBMITTED PHOTO Thunder, an olive ridley turtle, died despite reha- bilitation efforts. adding that several olive ridley turtles have been suc- cessfully returned to the wild after treatment in 1ewport. “In this case, we thought she was going to make it.” However, Thunder’s problems became more ap- parent after the move to Sea- World. An initial necropsy showed that Thunder may have had internal organ in- juries, including in the liver and heart, that contributed to her death. She also had stopped eating for some time, which may have been a symptom of a larger issue, Todd said. An of¿cial nec- ropsy report is not yet com- plete. Oregon Coast Aquarium, where Thunder was cared for and rehabilitated, is “very upset” about the turtle’s death, Todd said. Pelican Brewing Company is hiring & training staff for the new Pelican in Cannon Beach, opening in early May, and we want YOU on our TEAM! Firefighters extinguish pickup truck inferno NOW HIRING Line Cooks, Prep Cooks, Dishwashers, Managers, Servers, Bartenders, Hosts, Bussers – All positions! Sunday afternoon, a pickup truck went up in flames in midtown. Volunteers, firefighters and police helped to put out the blaze. 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