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A Coconino County man accused of murdering a Utah sheriff’s deputy will not face the death penalty, the Coconino County Attorney’s Office announced today.
Instead, the Arizona Daily Sun reports, Scott Curley, 23, was ordered by a judge to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he’s competent to stand trial.
Curley faces charges of premeditated first degree murder, aggravated assault on a police officer, aggravated assault on a citizen, burglary, and theft in connection with the murder of Kane County, Utah, sheriff’s deputy Brian Harris, who was killed in August as he was chasing Curley three miles east of Fredonia.
After the shooting, Curley took off and was believed to be hiding in a six-mile, mountainous area east of Fredonia.
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Curley’s friends told officers he had food stored in what officers called “spider holes” in the
mountains where police believe he hid for nearly three days.
Police were after Curley for a string of burglaries in Kanab, Utah, in
which he targeted schools and stole bizarre things like a box of
burritos. Harris caught up with him during one of the thefts and, during a foot pursuit that
spilled from Utah to Arizona, Curley shot and killed
the officer with a high-powered rifle.
Curley was arrested after police got a call from a man in Lost Springs, Utah, saying a man with a
rifle slung over his shoulder was trying to break into his house.
When police arrived they found an exhausted Curley and took him into custody.
