For a few months earlier this year, Katherine Sebastian Dring thought the man accused of murdering her son finally would be going to trial.

Dring, chairwoman of the Eastern Pequot Tribe, has been waiting for a trial since her nephew, James Armstrong, allegedly shot and killed her son, Ralph Sebastian Sidberry, at Sidberry's home on April 12, 2017. She has said from the beginning that she wants Armstrong, her sister's son, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for the murder of her only son.

But Armstrong, 32, suffers from schizophrenia and personality disorders and persists in the delusion that Sidberry was spreading AIDS among fellow tribal members, according to court records and testimony. Autopsy results showed that Sidberry did not have HIV or AIDS.

Armstrong has been confined at the Whiting Forensic Hospital, where clinicians gave him antipsychotic medications and attempted to restore him to competency. Whiting staff determined in November 2018 there was no substantial probability they could restore Armstrong to competency within the six months time period allowed by law.

To be competent, a criminal defendant must understand the court proceedings and be capable of helping in his or her defense.

The state secured a civil commitment that would keep Armstrong confined at Whiting unless he was restored to competency, and in June 2019, to the surprise of both the prosecution and defense, a different team of Whiting clinicians notified the court that Armstrong had been restored.

The clinical report finding him competent failed to mention Armstrong's delusion about AIDS, and Armstrong's attorney, Kevin Barrs, asked for an independent opinion. Before that could happen, however, clinicians once again evaluated Armstrong and reported to the court on Oct. 1 that he is not competent.

During Armstrong's appearance this week in New London Superior Court, Judge Hillary B. Strackbein found him incompetent and ordered him returned to Whiting where he would be evaluated every six months. The judge noted that there is no statute of limitations on a murder charge, meaning Armstrong still could be tried if he becomes competent.

The victim's mother issued a statement earlier this week after learning of the latest development.

"It is travesty of justice when a Court decides that James Armstrong, a murderer is incompetent to stand trial when he admitted to his longtime plan to kill Ralph Sebastian Sidberry, his cousin," Dring said. "It was cold blooded, premeditated murder and he should be competent to stand trial. May God, our Creator, have vengeance on James Armstrong."

k.florin@theday.com