A man accused of murdering a transgender woman this past summer will undergo a psychiatric evaluation today. At a Dec. 24 hearing, Municipal Court Judge James DeLeon granted a continuance in the case of Charles Sargent and scheduled the defendant for a mental-health evaluation on Jan. 3. An attorney will be present during the evaluation, which will be conducted by an unnamed party. Sargent, 44, is charged with the July murder of transwoman Diamond Williams, as well as with possession of an instrument of crime and abuse of a corpse. At a Dec. 17 preliminary hearing, Sargent’s attorney, J. Michael Farrell, asked Judge Teresa Carr Deni to grant Sargent a psychological evaluation in order to decide if he is competent to stand trial. Farrell did not respond to a request for comment. Sargent has also been charged with making terroristic threats for allegedly threatening to kill his girlfriend if she contacted law enforcement about his alleged involvement in Williams’ murder and dismemberment. Williams had reportedly gone to Sargent’s Strawberry Mansion home for a sexual encounter. It is unclear what led to her stabbing. Sargent has been held at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility since his July 20 arrest.
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