Jury starts deliberations on murder defendant’s mental competency trial

The mental competency trial for a murder defendant ended today.

The Imperial Valley community wants to know if 50-year-old Ioan Laurint is mentally competent to stand trial for the alleged murder of local attorney Anne Marie Zimmerman.

El Centro resident Donald Scoville said it shook him when he first the news of Zimmerman’s death.

“I was really shocked, because it knew, not real well, but she always seemed to be a very nice, gracious person. And I just could not imagine anybody dying that way, much less her. It’s been a long ordeal,” Scoville said.

The mental competency trial ended today. A jury has now entered into deliberations.

El Centro resident Rachel Cunningham has been been following the trial closely and has come to her own conclusions.

“I think he’s faking it because he doesn’t want to take responsibility for what he did,” Cunningham said.

The District Attorney’s Office said in court on Thursday during closing arguments that psychologists who declared Laurint was mentally incompetent are wrong. However, the defense praised their work and said they stand by their evaluation.

“I hope that it ends up with a due process, a fair verdict,” Scoville said.

“Of course, his attorney is going to use whatever tactics he can to get his client a lesser charge or not a charge at all,” Cunningham said.

They said they’re trusting on the legal system to bring justice one way or another.

“The due process is going to take care of it. Because it’s his burden to prove that he was legally insane at that time,” Cunningham said.

“Our criminal justice system has flaws but it works. I’m deeply sorry for her family and that they have to go through this tragedy, and that it’s taking so long for them to see justice done,” Cunningham said.

We reached out to the D.A. and the defense attorney, but they were not available for comment.