Nampa Man Who Killed Father of Five Found Unfit to Stand Trial

This whole murder and subsequent crash has haunted me since it happened last January and now the nightmare gets worse as the man responsible for all of this heartbreak has been found unfit to stand trial. 

Let me refresh your memory about this story. In January of 2017 49-year-old Anthony Montwheeler stabbed his ex-wife, 40-year-old Anita Harmon, to death outside of a gas station in Ontario, Oregon. He then sped off with his dead ex-wife inside his pickup and hit an SUV head-on.

Inside that SUV was 38-year-old David Bates, a father of five children between the ages of 4 and 11, and his wife Jessica.

David died in the crash, while Jessica, who was in the passenger seat survived.

I just kept thinking about those poor children, left without a father in an instant because of Montwheeler's decisions. His wife Jessica left behind to raise all of those kids alone.

According to KTVB, this decision by the judge doesn't take away the criminal case, but it does put the trial on hold.

Part of the judge's decision is because of the fact that Montwheeler had been in and out of state institutions for 20 years prior to the murder and crash and the state hospital says he is unfit to stand trial.

The Malheur District Attorney is arguing saying that Montwheeler has faked mental illness in the past.

For now, Montwheeler is in rehabilitation. Where things go from here depends on a report from the hospital in the next 90 days.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Jessica Bates and her children as well as with Anita Harmon's children.

I wish things like this never happened in our world.