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Nurse attack suspect Stephen Scantlebury deemed competent to stand trial

Scantlebury's attorney Scott Simmons told WPTV's Chief Investigative Reporter Jamie Ostroff that after today's hearing he is still working toward an insanity plea for his client

WPTV

Stephen Scantlebury appears in a Palm Beach County courtroom on Feb. 27, 2025.

By: Aja Dorsainvil , Jamie Ostroff

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PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The man accused of brutally attacking a nurse at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital back in February has been deemed competent, by two doctors who have evaluated him, to stand trial.

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Suspect in nurse attack deemed competent to stand trial

Stephen Scantlebury, who faces an attempted second-degree murder charge, remains in custody at the Palm Beach County Jail, where he has undergone psychiatric evaluations to determine his competency.

Scantlebury, 33, was being treated for a medical issue at Palms West Hospital on Feb. 18 when, investigators said, he attacked Leelamma Lal, a 67-year-old nurse.

Scantlebury was on a mental health hold at the time and his lawyers have since argued he should be in a treatment facility while he awaits trial. His attorney Scott Simmons told WPTV's Chief Investigative Reporter Jamie Ostroff that after today's hearing he is still working toward an insanity plea for his client.

"The two court-appointed doctors have found him competent to proceed, which is a very low threshold, basically saying that he understands what's happening in the courtroom," Simmons told WPTV. "Competency is as we sit here today, insanity is at the time of the offense. So just because he's competent today, has nothing to do with if he was insane at the time of the offense."

Lal spent nearly six months away from her house in Royal Palm Beach, while she recovered from the brutal beating that landed her in intensive care and a rehabilitation facility in Jacksonville. Her family welcomed her back home earlier this month.

READ MORE OF WPTV'S COVERAGE OF THE CASE: