LAKE COUNTY — A Clearlake man accused of the 2006 first-degree murder of his roommate is going to trial Feb. 13. James Wade Roberts, 46, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in March 2007 and is being held at the Lake County Jail on $1 million bail.
Roberts is accused of murdering Ruth Donaldson, who shared a Mullen Avenue house with Roberts, his mother Jill Mancuso and at least two other people at the time of her Oct. 15, 2006 death. Clearlake police responded at 12:14 p.m. and got a statement from Roberts” mother that Roberts had admitted to the murder and asked her for a sleeping bag to dispose of Donaldson”s body, according to a statement by Clearlake police officer Brett Rhodes during Roberts” Feb. 16, 2007 preliminary hearing.
“He (Roberts) entered two pleas, not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity,” Hopkins said. “What that means is that for the not guilty plea we have to show beyond a reasonable doubt that he was guilty from the evidence. If the jury agrees, then we move into the sanity phase to determine if he was sane or insane at the time.”
Roberts” Defense attorney Stephen Carter said four doctors were appointed by the court to examine Roberts. Carter said he could not discuss more about the case before the jury was selected. That process begins Feb. 13.
Hopkins said the determination about Roberts sanity will be made by the same jury that will decide whether he is guilty or not guilty of the murder. Enhancements attached to the murder charge allege that Roberts had prior convictions for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon in Butte and Sonoma counties.
Hopkins said that two of the four court-appointed doctors have not been able to examine Roberts because he did not cooperate with them. Hopkins filed a motion Jan. 16 to reaffirm the court”s order that the doctors examine Roberts, and Hopkins said the next step is to ask the two doctors to visit Roberts again. “This is a murder case and an NGI (not guilty by reason of insanity) plea, and I want the benefit of everybody”s opinion on this,” Hopkins said.
Carter declared a doubt about Roberts” competency in August 2007; the court found Roberts competent to stand trial in December 2007, according to court records.
Donaldson was found sitting on the floor, leaning against the foot of a bed with a rope around her neck, according to CPD officers” statements.
An autopsy performed three days later found that Donaldson died of strangulation and a stab wound to her left breast that punctured her heart and lung, according to a statement by Clearlake Police Department Sgt. Mike Hermann at Roberts” preliminary hearing.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com
