Wellington mother accused in son’s murder to be evaluated at Larned hospital

A Wellington mother accused of murdering her 10-year-old son will undergo a competency evaluation at Larned State Hospital, likely within 90 days, according to the Sumner County Attorney’s Office.

Sumner County District Court Judge R. Scott McQuin on Thursday ordered that the evaluation for 33-year-old Lindsey Nicole Blansett take place in Larned after local provider Sumner County Mental Health recommended it be completed at the state-run facility, the attorney’s office said.

Blansett’s next hearing, a status conference, is scheduled for Feb. 26. The attorney’s office said the court will hold the proceeding to check the progress of the competency evaluation.

It had not yet been scheduled Thursday afternoon.

Blansett is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of her son, Caleb, on Dec. 14 at their Wellington home. According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Blansett decided that Caleb’s “life would be full of suffering and it would be better for him to go to heaven tonight” so she went into his bedroom, struck him with a rock and stabbed him multiple times with a knife.

She then called 911.

In his request last month for the competency exam, court-appointed defense attorney Mike Brown wrote that he had “a good faith basis” to think Blansett may be incompetent to stand trial. The judge ordered the evaluation on Jan. 8.

Blansett remained in Sumner County Jail on Thursday in lieu of $500,000 bond.

This story was originally published January 29, 2015 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Wellington mother accused in son’s murder to be evaluated at Larned hospital."