COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Scripps News Colorado Springs) — The man accused of killing two people at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Nicholas Jordan, 25, appears for a hearing at the El Paso County 4th Judicial Court, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Colorado Springs Colo. (Parker Seibold/The Gazette via AP, Pool)
The results of Nicholas Jordan‘s competency evaluation were revealed during a court hearing Friday morning. The competency evaluation was conducted by the State Mental Health Hospital after a judge granted the defense’s motion for the evaluation last month.
During Friday’s court hearing, Judge David Shakes granted the prosecution’s request for a second competency evaluation with a doctor of the attorney’s choice.
The defense argued that according to state statute, the prosecution is not allowed to choose their own doctor for the second evaluation. However, the judge said it would not make sense for a different doctor at the State Mental Health Hospital to conduct another evaluation.
Jordan is expected back in court on May 31 at 11 a.m. for a review hearing on the status of the second competency evaluation.
Jordan is accused of killing his roommate, 24-year-old Samuel Knopp, and 26-year-old Celie Montgomery, who was not a student, in a UCCS dorm room on February 16, 2024.
Colorado Springs Police arrested Jordan on Monday, Feb. 19, three days after he allegedly shot and killed Knopp and Montgomery inside their shared dorm room. Police said officers found the suspect in a vehicle with a handgun and a loaded AK-47 about three miles west of campus.
The two victims were found dead with at least one gunshot wound each just after 6 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 16 by UCCS Campus Police. Knopp was identified as Jordan’s roommate and arrest papers said the two had a previous argument, in which Jordan allegedly threatened to kill Knopp over taking out the trash.
This story was originally written by Aiden Hulting at Scripps News Colorado Springs, an E.W. Scripps Company.
