Macon murder suspect ruled incompetent to stand trial

A lawyer representing a Macon man charged in a June 4, 2014 fatal shooting at Colonial Terrace Apartments argued Monday that his client isn’t competent to stand trial for murder.

Micki Antonio Brown was arrested June 5, 2014, in the slaying of 19-year-old Majesty Conover at the Houston Avenue apartment complex. His brother and roommate, 27-year-old Lantonio Rodriques Hill, also is charged with murder in the case.

Rick Waller, Brown’s lawyer, wrote in a motion filed last month that Brown “is incapable of understanding the nature of the charges or the object of the proceedings against him.”

Brown also is “incapable of assisting his attorney in preparation of a defense,” according to the motion.

Macon Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Howard Simms granted Waller’s request at the conclusion of a brief hearing, remanding Brown to the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities for treatment until his competency is restored.

Brown, who turned 22 Monday, sat quietly beside Waller during the hearing and didn’t speak.

Authorities have alleged Brown’s jealousy of Conover’s involvement with Brown’s girlfriend was the motive for the killing.

Witnesses have reported seeing Brown and Hill beating Conover.

Conover, who wasn’t armed, was on the ground when he was fatally shot, authorities have said.

Brown was elsewhere when Conover was shot, Waller said at a November hearing in the case.

Prior to his arrest, Brown worked at Labor Finders and was on probation stemming from an aggravated assault case.

Hill has contended he tried to break up a fight between Brown and Conover and that he was in a vehicle parked outside the apartments when Conover was shot.

He worked as a maintenance man at a law enforcement and firefighting training facility in Perry prior to his arrest and doesn’t have any felony convictions on his record.

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report. To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398 or find her on Twitter@awomackmacon.

This story was originally published September 21, 2015 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Macon murder suspect ruled incompetent to stand trial ."