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PROVO — A judge ruled Thursday that Hunter Lamoreaux, an Orem man charged with murdering his former neighbor, is competent to stand trial following an evaluation.
Gregory Shaffer, 42, was found by police on his front porch in Springville with multiple gunshot wounds on May 21.
Lamoreaux, 25, was charged with murder, a first-degree felony. He told police he had been planning to kill Shaffer for two months, and admitted to driving to the man's house and shooting him, according to charging documents, which also allege that Lamoreaux was "upset regarding a pending divorce and custody battle" between Shaffer and Shaffer's estranged wife.
He said the first shot misfired. "I cocked it again and just started firing. ... I wanted to make sure he was dead, so I just kept shooting," he told police, according to the charges.
Defense attorney Greg Skordas sought a competency evaluation in July. In a motion, Skordas explained he had concerns about Lamoreaux's ability to participate in the case or understand the roles of the parties involved in the case, as well as concerns about the man's ability to "appreciate the gravity" of the charges filed against him.
"The facts of the case, the demeanor and effect of defendant while in police custody, and the choice of words used while describing the events of the alleged criminal acts have caused counsel to question defendant's competency," Skordas said in the court filing.
But following a report that came to the attorneys on Wednesday saying he is competent, 4th District Judge Robert Lund officially found him to be competent and the case will now move forward. The next hearing in the case is set for Dec. 1.
