the kenai courthouseThe courthouse successful Kenai. (Sabine Poux/KDLL)

A Nikiski man accused of murdering his mother successful 2022 tin beryllium involuntarily medicated truthful that he tin guidelines trial, nan Alaska Court of Appeals ruled Friday.

Alaska State Troopers arrested past 20-year-old River Aspelund at nan Nikiski location he shared pinch his mother, Jeryl Bates. According to tribunal documents, Aspelund’s sister called constabulary to cheque connected her mother aft she grounded to show up for work. Troopers recovered Bates’ assemblage pinch gunshot and stab wounds, while Aspelund was dormant successful nan home.

Aspelund was charged pinch first- and second-degree murder, manslaughter and grounds tampering. After arrest, he was diagnosed pinch schizophrenia, recovered incompetent to guidelines proceedings and committed to nan Alaska Psychiatric Institute successful Anchorage. Staff location prescribed antipsychotic medications which he refused to take, according to tribunal documents. The authorities past revenge a mobility to involuntarily medicate him.

A U.S. Supreme Court case, Sell v. United States, allows states to involuntarily medicate group successful custody if definite conditions are met. The Kenai Superior Court held a proceeding successful August 2023 to administer what’s known arsenic a Sell test, wherever they heard grounds from a forensic scientist and a physiatrist treating Aspelund.

Both said antipsychotic medications would amended let Aspelund to guidelines trial. His sister besides testified, though she said she feared nan medicine mightiness make his symptoms worse based connected past behavior.

The superior tribunal was convinced and said Aspelund could beryllium medicated, but he revenge a petition for review. In its Friday ruling, nan appellate tribunal upheld nan findings of nan Sell trial and besides said Aspelund tin beryllium involuntarily medicated for trial.

Aspelund’s adjacent tribunal day is simply a competency proceeding scheduled for June 6. His nationalist defender declined to comment.

Read nan ruling here: