FARGO — The attorney representing a man accused of killing a Fargo teen said during a hearing in Cass County District Court on Thursday, Feb. 17, that his client intends to undergo a mental evaluation by a psychologist hired by the defense.
Eric Baumann, who represents Arthur Prince Kollie, said during Thursday's hearing that the evaluation is expected to be completed by late March, but it could take longer than that.
In October, Kollie entered Alford pleas to charges of murder, robbery and aggravated assault in the death of 14-year-old Jupiter Paulsen.
An Alford plea means the defendant does not admit responsibility, but agrees a jury could find them guilty based on the evidence.
In January, Judge John Irby allowed Kollie to withdraw his Alford pleas, meaning the case once more is heading for trial.
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At Thursday's hearing, Irby declined to set a trial date and instead set another pretrial hearing for April 21.
Kollie was present in the courtroom Thursday, but he did not speak. Baumann appeared at the hearing remotely.
About a half-dozen demonstrators stood outside the Cass County Courthouse on Thursday afternoon, carrying signs that called for justice for Jupiter, who was found with multiple stab wounds near Party City at 4340 13th Ave. S.W., in Fargo, on June 4, 2021.
The teenager was skateboarding from her father’s house to her mother’s home when she was attacked, according to court documents.
Surveillance footage showed Jupiter walking in the parking lot of Party City at about 6:30 a.m., according to Fargo Police Detective Mark Voigtschild, who testified during a court hearing in October.
A man seen in the footage assaulted the girl for nearly 30 minutes and stabbed her more than 20 times, according to court documents.
The assailant ran when a sanitation worker showed up, according to Voigtschild's testimony at the October hearing.
Jupiter died at a hospital several days after the assault occurred.
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Although Kollie entered Alford pleas to the charges in October, he said during the hearing in January that he didn’t understand what it meant to enter the pleas.
He also said at the January hearing that he suffers from severe mental illness, including depression and anxiety. He claimed he hears voices in his head, and he wasn’t himself the day he entered the Alford pleas.
A previous mental evaluation found Kollie competent to stand trial.
Life in prison is the maximum sentence for the murder charge Kollie faces.
If convicted, Kollie would have to spend at least four years in prison since he allegedly used a weapon in the stabbing.
