TACOMA, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
Gaven Flowers, 28, accused of fatally stabbing his stepfather 18 times in the head and torso, made his first court appearance Thursday.
Prosecutors said Flowers has exhibited signs of severe mental health issues.
According to The News Tribune, the judge ordered Flowers to be held without bail and to undergo a mental competency evaluation.
A man walked into a Tacoma police substation Tuesday afternoon and reported that another man had been killed.
Related: Brutal Seattle murder case dismissed as suspect incompetent to stand trial
Just before 1 p.m. on Feb. 11, the man informed officers at the Northeast Tacoma Police Substation that a murder had occurred in the 4500 block of Heron Ridge Dr. NE — a quiet residential neighborhood with higher-priced homes and scenic views of Commencement Bay.
Officers immediately responded to the scene, where they found an adult male victim critically injured. Despite their efforts, Tacoma Fire Department personnel arrived shortly afterward and pronounced the man dead at the scene.
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