An attorney for the man accused of attacking a group of Hasidic Jews with a machete at a New York Hanukkah celebration claimed his client is too incompetent to stand trial.
Grafton Thomas, 37, pleaded not guilty to several counts of attempted murder, burglary, and federal hate crimes after he was arrested after an attack that injured five people, including Josef Neumann, 72, who remains in a coma after being struck in the head with the machete.
On Monday, Thomasâs attorney, Michael Sussman, notified the judge overseeing the case that a psychiatrist deemed Thomas too incompetent to understand the charges against him and stand trial. Sussman told the Associated Press that he requested the judge hold a competency evaluation to confirm his psychiatrist’s findings. The attorney expects the judge to make a ruling on the request within two weeks.
Family friends of Thomas claimed that he suffered from mental illnesses shortly after he was arrested. At the time of his arrest, Thomasâs longtime pastor, Rev. Wendy Paige, said, âGrafton is not a terrorist, he is a man who has mental illness in America and the systems that be have not served him well.â
However, authorities found a journal layered with anti-Semitic writings and references to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. He also searched Google for phrases such as âWhy did Hitler hate the Jewsâ and âGerman Jewish Temples near me.â On the day of the attack, Thomas read an article titled: âNew York City Increases Police Presence in Jewish Neighborhoods After Possible Anti-Semitic Attacks. Hereâs What To Know.â
Family members of Neumann were “not optimistic” about the chances of the 72-year-old regaining consciousness after the attack. Doctors warned the family that Neumann would likely face paralysis and may not be able to speak if he does regain consciousness.
