Man charged with 1st-degree murder of 2 Saint John boys to undergo fitness assessment
Roman Kamyshnyy, 45, is no longer in a coma, but does not have 'full function,' court documents state
A Saint John man accused of killing two boys in the city's north end two weeks ago has been ordered to undergo an in-hospital assessment to determine whether he's fit to stand trial.
Roman Kamyshnyy, 45, is facing two counts of first-degree murder after police officers found the boys, aged 10 and 17, dead inside an apartment on Skaling Court in Millidgeville on Jan. 29 around 7 a.m., while responding to a 911 call.
Officers also found a man they described as having life-threatening injuries, who was taken into custody and transported to hospital.
Police have not released the names of the victims, or disclosed the nature of the relationship between them and the accused, saying only that the accused was known to them.
The victims are identified only as A.B. and C.D. in court documents made public late Thursday, following Kamyshnyy's first virtual court appearance.
Unable to speak
Kamyshnyy remains in hospital, according to court documents.
He is no longer in a coma, "however not full function," provincial court Judge Lucie Mathurin's handwritten notes indicate.
His eyes are "moving and tracking," but he is unable to speak and did not respond when the charges were read to him, the notes say.
Although he did look up, "not sure if that means he understood."
Mathurin ordered an assessment of Kamyshnyy's mental condition be conducted at the Saint John Regional Hospital for five days.
Kamyshnyy remains in custody.
His next scheduled court appearance is on Feb. 21 at 1:30 p.m. by telephone.
No new details from police
Saint John police offered no update Thursday on the investigation by forensic identification services, the major crime unit and the family protection unit.
They have declined to disclose how the boys died or what, if any, weapons were used.
They have also declined to discuss the nature of the accused's injuries, or whether they were self-inflicted.
"Although we recognize the public interest in this case, to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and court proceedings, the Saint John Police are not providing any further details at this time," Detective Sgt. Matt Weir said in an emailed statement.
"Once the investigation allows, further updates will be provided," he said.
In order for a hospitalized accused to be considered "medically fit" to make their first court appearance, they need to be "in a stable medical condition, be mentally competent, have the physical ability to appear via a remote link and medical clearance," Weir said.
