Driver in fatal Finley crash found competent to stand trial

A motorist charged with killing his passenger in a Finley drunk-driving crash has been faking a mental illness to avoid a trial, a state psychologist said.

Ty A. Moore, 31, suffers from both antisocial personality and anxiety disorders, but he understands the court process and can help in his own defense, according to a report from Eastern State Hospital.

The report, prepared by psychologist Nathan Henry, said there “is extensive evidence to indicate that Mr. Moore was attempting to feign mental illness, cognitive impairment and competency related impairment.”

Moore claims he is a schizophrenic and was diagnosed during a prior prison stay.

However, Henry found no official record of the diagnosis, said it’s “based primarily on his self-report of symptoms” and noted that Moore gave vague and uncharacteristic examples of true psychosis.

Judge Cameron Mitchell agreed with the findings and on Tuesday ruled that Moore is competent to stand trial in Benton County Superior Court on one count of vehicular homicide.

The case had been on hold since Dec. 1. Trial now is set for March 28.

Moore, of Benton City, was driving a Buick Regal late Oct. 23 when he failed to stop at a stop sign and crossed into the path of a Toyota Camry on Highway 397, court documents said.

Moore claimed the other car was going too fast on the highway, also known as Chemical Drive.

His back seat passenger, Fawn J. White, 34, of Hermiston, died after being thrown from the Buick. She was not wearing a seat belt.

White’s 3-year-old son was next to her in the back seat. The boy, a front seat passenger and the Toyota driver were all treated at a Tri-City hospital.

Washington State Patrol troopers reported that Moore smelled of alcohol and had watery and bloodshot eyes.

Prosecutors have accused Moore of driving in a reckless manner with disregard for the safety of others.

After defense attorney Alexandria Sheridan raised concerns about Moore’s mental health, Henry drove to Kennewick to meet with Moore in the Benton County jail on Dec. 23.

Moore told the psychologist he spent “a significant amount of time in the corrections setting in Oregon, both as a juvenile and an adult.”

So when asked about his current case, Moore was able to explain the role of each party in the judicial system and that he is looking at prison time if convicted of the felony.

But when Henry asked for a definition of vehicular homicide, Moore said because somebody died in the crash, “They pick one person and I was the one that had a criminal history so they stuck me with it.”

Henry said Moore has negative attitudes towards law enforcement and the legal system as a whole, claiming he has been picked on his entire life, won’t get a fair trial and will be thrown away.

Moore was admitted in February to Eastern State Hospital for an inpatient evaluation because of the lack of medical records during his earlier interview.

At that point, Moore acted confused about even the basics of courtroom proceedings, didn’t know his charge and gave inconsistent statements about whether someone was hurt or “passed away” in his car, the report said.

Moore also claimed he heard voices speaking to him when no one else was in the room and gave detailed descriptions of hallucinations. Henry said the types of experiences as described by Moore aren’t characteristic of a genuine mental illness, but of someone trying to fake it.

“Results from the current evaluation indicate he is not a reliable source of information regarding his symptoms,” Henry said.

During Moore’s time in the Medical Lake facility’s Forensic Services Unit, staff noted that he displayed “overt behaviors suggestive of psychotic symptoms that were questionable in nature.”

Staff also observed him talking with other patients “about what to say in order to be flipped to a civil commitment,” the report said. That would mean a dismissal of Moore’s criminal case and a potential involuntary commitment to the state psychiatric facility.

Moore is back in jail on $75,000 bail.

This story was originally published March 1, 2016 at 11:42 AM with the headline "Driver in fatal Finley crash found competent to stand trial."