Attempted murder case on hold for sanity evaluation
NEW PHILADELPHIA – The trial of a man accused of attacking a Dover gas station attendant with a hammer is on hold indefinitely as he undergoes a sanity evaluation.
Police say 39-year-old John McNutt on Dec. 9 attempted to rob the Wooster Avenue Speedway, hitting the female clerk in the head with a hammer. She was able to get out, and he left the store empty-handed. Police found him a short while later walking down the road.
A grand jury indicted McNutt on Dec. 20 on felony assault, robbery and attempted murder charges.
McNutt pleaded not guilty on Jan. 9 while he was being held in jail on a $500,000 bond.
Days later Judge Elizabeth Thomakos delayed a trial indefinitely after granting the defendant’s motion for an evaluation to determine if McNutt is competent to stand trial. He is being evaluated at the Forensic Diagnostic Center in Cambridge.