Attorney says 16-year-old suspect in stabbing of Tyler teacher has history of mental illness

Attorney: Stabbing suspect ‘mentally disturbed’

TYLER, Texas — A 16-year-old student accused of stabbing his teacher to death at a Texas high school has a “lengthy history” of mental illness, his attorney said Thursday.

Jim Huggler said he planned to seek a competency hearing after a juvenile judge ruled Thursday that there was probable cause for a murder charge. The boy has not been formally charged by Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham, who has declined to comment on the case.

The student was ordered held until another detention hearing Oct. 5.

He was bound and shackled and dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit when he appeared in Smith County juvenile court Thursday afternoon in Tyler. He appeared to answer questions in a subdued voice inaudible to witnesses.

“What we’re dealing with is a young man who is mentally disturbed, who has a long history of mental illness,” Huggler said. “It’s a bad, horrible situation for everyone involved.”

He declined to elaborate further on the boy’s mental illness history.

Huggler said authorities were still “very early in this process.” He said Bingham would have to petition the juvenile court once the prosecutor decides how to pursue the case.

“It’ll be a lengthy investigation by law enforcement and the district attorney’s office,” Huggler said.

A makeshift memorial surrounded a flagpole at John Tyler High School as classes resumed under tight security a day after the slaying of Todd Henry. The 50-year-old special education teacher was attacked in a classroom Wednesday and later died.

A card was nestled among a few bouquets that encircled the base of the flagpole.

“To a man that had a heart for the kids and music. May you rest in peace and may God be with you,” read one card signed by three people.

A vigil was planned Thursday night across the street from the high school at Westwood Baptist Church, where the U.S. flag was flying at half-staff.

Angela Jenkins, a spokeswoman for the Tyler Independent School District, said eight school district police officers were on the John Tyler campus during the school day, along with four Tyler police officers and six Smith County sheriff’s deputies.

The deputies parked their trucks in the school lot and stood watch nearby before classes started. Other uniformed officers were seen along sidewalks in front of the school.

Jenkins said Principal Carol Saxenian began the day with a moment of silence and “reassured students that what occurred … was a random act by an individual student.”

One student, 17-year-old junior Tambria Moore, disagreed with the district’s decision to hold classes a day after the stabbing.

“I didn’t think the school was safe yesterday, and I don’t think it’s safe today,” Moore said. “I think it’s stupid to have your school still open and available for students when a murder just happened at school.”

Tyler schools Superintendent Randy Reid said Wednesday that a student approached Henry around 8:50 a.m. and stabbed him in the neck with a sharp object. A teacher’s aide and two other students were in the classroom, and the aide subdued the suspect, Reid said.

Authorities have not offered a motive in the slaying. A police spokesman referred comment to the school district and prosecutors.

Tyler is about 90 miles southeast of Dallas.

Reid tried Thursday to reassure residents who have complained about lax security at the school that the campus had “a significant level of security” before the stabbing. He said the district was considering extra measures to address security concerns.

Student attendance was off about 9 percent Thursday, Reid said. The granddaughter of 57-year-old Essie James was among those who stayed home.

“She’s been kind of moping around,” James said.

On the Net:

www.tylerisd.org

(This version CORRECTS that eight school district officers were on campus, not the “entire school district police force.”)