DANVERS, Mass. — A high school student accused of randomly killing a woman in Danvers last month has been found incompetent to stand trial.
Anthony DeMayo, an 18-year-old Lynn native and a senior at Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody, had previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder in the death of Janet Swallow, a 68-year-old mother and nurse from Danvers.
Prosecutors say DeMayo climbed through the window of Swallow’s bedroom back in March while she slept and stabbed her to death.
DeMayo was ordered to undergo a 20-day mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital after his initial arraignment.
On March 12, officers responded to a 911 call for a person with a knife in the area of Standish Road in Lynn encountered a person carrying a knife, which had a “reddish-brown stain consistent with blood,” Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker announced at the time of the killing.
The person, later identified as DeMayo, was transported to Salem Hospital due to his “erratic behavior,” according to Tucker.
While a subsequent search of DeMayo‘s Lynn home was unfolding, he allegedly admitted to Lynn police officers that he had killed a woman the night before in Danvers, just as they located blood-stained clothing, Assistant District Attorney Erin McAndrews told the court during his arraignment.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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