A woman originally from Butler County could be ready to stand trial on murder charges.
Staff at a Florida treatment center sent a letter to the judge in the case of Kimberly Kessler- who grew up in Butler- to say they believe she is now competent to stand trial for the 2018 murder of her co-worker Joleen Cummings.
Kessler worked with the victim at a hair salon in Nassau County and was the last person to see Cummings before she disappeared, according to authorities. Cummings’ body has not been found.
An evaluation was done by physicians in May, which determined Kessler was not competent to stand trial, but prosecutors challenged that determination resulting in the need for a judge’s ruling.
Kessler was committed to a Florida hospital in July after a judge ruled that she was incompetent to stand trial at that time. Another competency hearing will be held before that judge in the next 30 days.
