Murder suspect still undergoing psychiatric treatment

A Williamsburg man, who is awaiting trial for stabbing someone to death earlier this year, was scheduled to appear in Whitley Circuit Court Monday afternoon for hearing, but instead is undergoing additional treatment at the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center (KCPC)

Jeffery Cole is charged with murder in connection with a January incident in southern Whitley County.

Jeffery Cole, 27, of Williamsburg, is charged with murder in connection to the Jan. 15 stabbing death of Curtis Lawson and second-degree assault in connection with the assault of his mother, Franzine Minchen.

Cole is charged with first-degree assault in connection with the unconnected Jan. 16 stabbing of Danny Sullivan, a local wrecker service owner.

“To my knowledge, he is still over at KCPC,” Cole’s attorney, Ron Findell, told Judge Dan Ballou late Monday afternoon.

Cole last appeared in court in early April, and Findell noted then that he had already submitted paperwork for an order to have Cole sent back to KCPC, which is a prison hospital located in Lagrange, for additional treatment.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble asked in court Monday how long Cole had been at KCPC.

“It took a while to get him up there and for a bed to get open,” Findell responded.

Whitley County Detention Center records indicate that Cole was transferred out of the jail on April 30, but showed Tuesday evening that he had been transferred back there.

So far no trial date has been set.

Ballou scheduled another pretrial conference in the case for July 2.

Cole allegedly stabbed Lawson to death in Minchen’s living room with a sword he had concealed in his sleeve, and then cut his mother in the face before fleeing the scene, according to court records.

The next day about 5:10 p.m., Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies, Kentucky State Police, and numerous other officers responded to Sullivan’s residence at 2266 South US25W after getting a report that he had been stabbed in the leg.

Cole again allegedly fled on foot, but was chased down a couple of hours later by Kentucky State Police.

Cole has a history of psychological issues.

One week before the stabbing, Whitley District Judge Cathy Prewitt denied his request to change his name to Victor Von Frankenstein.

He set up a Go Fund Me page in December that has since been taken down, seeking $500 million to fund his “robotics” company.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison for a Knoxville robbery, and while he was incarcerated squirted urine from a bottle into the face of an officer and attempted to kill a correctional employee with a homemade pocketknife, according to one prison record.

According to a disability assessment report of Cole that was done in Bronx, New York, in late April 2017, Cole suffers from Tourette’s syndrome, Psychosis, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Bipolar disorder.

The report also noted that Cole has had multiple hospitalizations for mental health issues.