LANCASTER, PA — In a case that has shaken Lancaster County, a local man accused of a horrifying crime has been found incompetent to stand trial. Donald Meshey Jr., 35, of the 200 block of W. Strawberry Street in Lancaster city, had been charged with killing, beheading, and dismembering his father in August 2021.
On Monday, Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker ruled that Meshey Jr. is not competent to stand trial based on the findings of a forensic psychiatrist who interviewed Meshey Jr. and reviewed relevant reports pertaining to the case. Assistant District Attorneys Mark Fetterman and CJ Restemayer did not oppose the psychiatrist’s findings or the recommendation for treatment.
Meshey Jr. will now be transferred to either Norristown State Hospital, Torrance State Hospital, or another approved mental health facility. He appeared virtually in court from Lancaster County Prison on Monday.
The chilling allegations against Meshey Jr. emerged last August when the Lancaster City Bureau of Police responded to a welfare check at the W. Strawberry Street residence. The reporting individual had spoken with Meshey Jr., who alleged there was a cadaver in a bed in the home and a human head in the freezer.
Upon arrival, officers were shown what appeared to be a human head in the freezer by Meshey Jr. himself. During a subsequent interview at the Lancaster City Bureau of Police station, Meshey Jr. claimed he saw a “cadaver doll” in his father’s bedroom that looked and sounded like his father. Meshey Jr. confessed to stabbing this “cadaver doll” for 2-3 minutes with a knife and then dismembering the body.
Moving forward, Meshey Jr. will be reevaluated every 90 days, or less, to determine his competency to stand trial. To be deemed competent, a defendant must be able to participate in their own defense and understand the nature of the proceedings against them.
As this case continues to unfold, it’s important to remember that all defendants, including Meshey Jr., are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The charges against him remain allegations until they are proven in court. As such, while the details of the crime are disturbing, the process of justice must still run its course.
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