School bus murder suspect back in Pasco court over his mental health evaluations
The man suspected of fatally stabbing a bus driver in front of a group of students last fall will remain in the Franklin County jail pending a hearing on his mental competency.
A second mental health evaluation has yet to be finished for the 35-year-old murder suspect, his attorney Shelley Ajax said Tuesday at a court hearing in Pasco.
Joshua Dian Davis was brought back to the Franklin County jail in March after a Washington state psychologist determined he is competent to stand trial for killing Richard “Dick” Lenhart.
Ajax disputed that conclusion and asked for a second examination by a defense expert.
On Tuesday, she told Superior Court Judge Norma Rodriguez that the report is expected to be done sometime in late May or early June.
Davis is due back in court on June 7.
After a competency hearing, a Franklin County Superior Court judge will ultimately decide if Davis is competent to stand trial for first-degree murder.
September attack
Lenhart, 72, who had been a bus driver for six years, was picking up a load of students after school on the afternoon of Sept. 24 when he was attacked.
Pasco police believe Davis drove his truck to a neighborhood near Longfellow Elementary School about 3 p.m. the day of the attack.
He ran toward the parked bus as Lenhart was preparing to leave, leading Lenhart to open the bus doors in anticipation of a question from Davis, according to court documents.
Video showed Davis step onto the bus and ask if it went to Road 100. When Lenhart said it didn’t, Davis is accused of pulling out a knife and stabbing him.
Davis got off the bus but then waited nearby for police to arrive and arrest him, though he refused to talk with officers.
This story was originally published April 19, 2022 at 5:02 PM.