California murders: Trial of Malayali woman Anila Baby halted over doubts about mental fitness

San Jose: Criminal proceedings against Anila Baby, a 32-year-old Malayali woman accused of killing two friends in California within hours of each other on August 28, have been suspended after her defence attorney raised concerns about her mental competency to stand trial.

Anila will be referred to the mental health calendar of the Santa Clara County Superior Court, where court-appointed doctors will assess whether she is fit to participate in her defence. The evaluation process could take several months. The case is scheduled to return to court on October 16, according to The Mercury News.

“Based on my in-person conversations with my client, I have doubts as to my client's competency to stand trial,” defence attorney Shawn George said in a statement following Thursday's hearing. He said the matter would be taken up again after the evaluators submitted their reports.

Deputy District Attorney Marisa McKeown said the prosecution was awaiting the court-appointed doctors' assessment. There is no fixed timeline for the criminal proceedings to resume.

Anila, a native of Kottayam, has been charged with the murders of Ann Mary Mathew, 39, and Anjana Hari, 35, both of whom hailed from Kerala. Anjana was from Mudikkode in Thrissur, while Ann Mary was from Kesavadasapuram in Thiruvananthapuram.

The investigation into the killings has also raised questions about Anila's mental state. When Milpitas police officers arrested her shortly after Anjana's death, they described her as incoherent and unable to answer their questions, according to The Mercury News.

The first incident was reported around noon on August 28, when Milpitas police responded to a collision in the parking lot of the Mill Creek Apartments on Dixon Landing Road. Witnesses reported seeing a blue Toyota Highlander SUV flee the scene after hitting Anjana and striking three parked vehicles.

According to a probable cause affidavit, officers found Anjana with severe head injuries and bleeding. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses told investigators that Anjana appeared relaxed and was smiling as she approached the SUV. However, after she stepped in front of the vehicle, the driver allegedly accelerated from a standstill and struck her. Another witness said they recognised Anila and had to move out of the way of her speeding vehicle.

Police later spotted Anila driving recklessly past patrol vehicles heading towards the apartment complex. She eventually pulled into a Walgreens parking lot on North Milpitas Boulevard, where officers arrested her.

About two hours later, Ann Mary was found dead at her home on Linda Vista Street in San Jose by her husband. A 911 dispatch recording cited in the report described her lying in a pool of blood with a knife nearby.

The Santa Clara County medical examiner determined that she died from a combination of strangulation, blunt-force trauma to the head and face, and incised wounds.

Investigators began connecting the two killings after Ann Mary's husband, who knew about Anjana's death, discovered his wife's body. According to a San Jose police affidavit cited by The Mercury News, detectives found evidence of a struggle and an apparent attempt to clean up blood at the house. Ann Mary's phone was also missing.

Investigators examined motion-activated surveillance footage from the residence and found that recordings from around 10.37 am and 11.35 am had been deleted. One surviving clip showed a sandal on the front-door mat. Detectives said it matched the footwear Anila was wearing when she was arrested in Milpitas.

Ann Mary's phone was subsequently found in Anila's vehicle, according to the affidavit.

Investigators also obtained a witness statement indicating that Ann Mary had received an unexpected visitor around the time one of the surveillance clips was deleted. No other visitors were reported before her husband discovered her body.

Surveillance footage, automatic licence-plate reader data and Anila's mobile phone signals placed her at Ann Mary's home around the time of the killing, the affidavit stated.

Police further alleged that the injuries and blood found on Anila when she was arrested were inconsistent with injuries sustained in a vehicle collision. The affidavit also stated that blood on her clothing matched Ann Mary's DNA.

Investigators established through family members that Anila and Anjana were close friends and neighbours at the Mill Creek apartment complex. Public records also indicated that Ann Mary had lived at the complex before moving to San Jose.