LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX News) — A Fayette County judge has ruled that a woman accused of fatally shooting two men outside a Lexington library is not competent to stand trial.
Deborah Weiss, 70, was found incompetent Tuesday and will remain at the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center for treatment and evaluation. A new competency hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 1.
Weiss is charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Edward Parker, 52, and Ashim Heanacho, 71, who were killed outside the Northside branch of the Lexington Public Library on Russell Cave Road in August 2025.
According to Lexington police, Weiss called 911 shortly after 3 a.m. on Aug. 2 and told dispatchers she had shot two men. Officers responding to the scene found Parker and Heanacho suffering from gunshot wounds. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene
During a preliminary hearing last year, Lexington Police Detective Jeremy Atkins testified that surveillance video showed Weiss approaching the victims while they were sleeping. Atkins said Weiss struck Parker with a sledgehammer before shooting him and later shattered the window of a vehicle where Heanacho was sleeping before shooting him three times. Investigators said the entire incident was captured on surveillance footage.
Police and court testimony indicated Weiss, Parker and Heanacho were homeless and had known each other prior to the shooting. Investigators also testified that Weiss told officers at the scene that she had shot the two men.
Under Kentucky law, a defendant must be able to understand the charges against them and assist in their own defense before criminal proceedings can move forward. Because Weiss has been found incompetent to stand trial, the murder case is effectively on hold while she receives treatment.
The court will revisit Weiss' competency status during a hearing scheduled for Dec. 1.
