Bernie man accused of abandoning corpse found incompetent for trial

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — A Bernie man accused of abandoning the body of a woman found dead in the trunk of her car has been found incompetent to assist in his own defense at this time.

Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield issued an order Friday committing Corey L. Gill to the custody of the Department of Mental Health and directing the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Department transport the 50-year-old to a mental health facility.

Satterfield’s order comes after Gill’s attorney, Leslie Hazel with the Public Defender’s Office, filed a motion in December seeking an examination and determination of her client’s fitness to stand trial.

Gill’s examination, according to Casenet, was on Monday, and the department’s report was filed with the court the next day.

Mental health officials “found him incompetent to proceed, so he will go to the Department of Mental Health,” said Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver. “He’ll be there for about six months, and they will give him what they call competency training to see if his competency can be restored so he can stand trial.”

After the six months, Oliver said, mental health officials will “send us a new report that will tell us whether they believe in the foreseeable future his competency can be restored.”

Gill is charged with the Class E felony of abandonment of a corpse.

Between Nov. 8 and Nov. 19, Gill is accused of taking “possession of the corpse of Holly Kirkman by removing her deceased body from (his) property and knowingly abandoned (her) at 510 Walter Ave.” in Bernie “without properly” notifying authorities.

Kirkman, 38, according to earlier reports, was reported missing Nov. 17 by her father, who had last seen her at their 510 Walter Ave. residence on Nov. 8.

Kirkman’s body was found between 11 a.m. and noon Nov. 19, Bernie Police Chief Justin Allen earlier said.

Officers reportedly were searching Kirkman’s residence when they found her body inside the trunk of her 2004 Dodge Neon.

Kirkman’s car, according to Allen’s probable-cause statement, was parked in the driveway, to the east of her residence.

After Kirkman’s body was found, the Stoddard County Major Case Squad was activated to investigate her death.

On Nov. 19, a search warrant reportedly was executed on Gill’s 512 Walter Ave. home and suspected methamphetamine was found.

Two days later, Allen said, Gill was arrested on unrelated stealing charges and interviewed.

“Mr. Gill admitted to law enforcement that he found the body of Holly Kirkman in the shed at the rear of his home,” Allen said.

“ … He then stated that he put his ear to her mouth to hear if she was breathing and then watched to see if her chest would rise.

“He said he did not hear anything; he then knew she was deceased.”

Gill, Allen said, reported he did not know what day he found Kirkman’s body in his shed.

“Mr. Gill stated that he drug Ms. Kirkman’s body from the shed located in the backyard of (his residence) to the back yard of 510 Walter Ave.,” Allen said.

Gill, Allen said, further reported he placed Kirkman’s body next to the car located at her residence and left without notifying authorities.

An autopsy was performed on Kirkman’s body Nov. 20 by Dr. Russell Deidiker in Farmington.

The preliminary autopsy, according to Allen, did not reveal any trauma or injuries that would have caused Kirkman’s death.

Samples were take to toxicology analysis.

When contacted Friday afternoon, Stoddard County Coroner Kenny Pope said, there were “drugs involved, but we don’t know the complete outcome at this time.”