Child rape suspect ruled incompetent to stand trial

A Shelbyville man accused of sexual acts against a young girl last year will not see a courtroom, it was ruled Friday.

J.W. Frazier, 79, of Carney Street, has been committed to Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute in Nashville.

"We had sent him for mental evaluations and the doctors ruled him incompetent to stand trial," according to assistant district attorney Richard Cawley. "He's a danger to himself and others."

Frazier had previously been evaluated at Centerstone in Tullahoma and had also been in custody at Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute in Chattanooga, where evaluations were also conducted.

Frazier was charged last October with 26 counts of rape of a child. He allegedly confessed to the allegations upon his arrest, according to Shelbyville police detective Charles Merlo.

The alleged attacks that began last September involved an 8-year-old girl who was staying in Frazier's home before and after school, Merlo said at the time.

Merlo said that the child's parents found out about Frazier's alleged actions because he was buying gifts for the girl and she told her parents what happened after being questioned about them.

Also on Friday, a Shelbyville man learned he would not receive a new trial in connection with an incident at Duck River Speedway in May 2008.

Circuit Court Judge Lee Russell denied a motion for a new trial filed by Marvin Bobby Parker, who had been found guilty of assault charges.

Several weeks ago, Parker had asked Judge Russell to force jurors who deliberated his case to answer questions as part of legal moves to have a new trial set but his attorney, Neil Campbell, withdrew that motion.

Parker was found guilty and sentenced to a total of four years on the charges of reckless aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault, and reckless endangerment.

However, he was released for time served, a total of 59 days, and is serving one year of community corrections, an intense form of probation, after which he will be transferred to regular probation.