This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Prosecutors plan to dismiss the murder charges against an Emery County man suspected of killing his parents in 2009 because he is incompetent to stand trial.
Instead, Peter Simon Sharp, 32, will remain in the Utah State Hospital in Provo. A news release issued Thursday from the Emery County Attorney's Office says the charges can be refiled if Sharp is ever found to be competent, but notes Sharp's status "is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future."
On Oct. 21, 2009, according to police and prosecutors, Sharp shot and killed his father, William Sharp, 51, in the bedroom of their Castle Dale home, then killed his mother, Charmaine Sharp, 54, in the kitchen. Sharp also is accused of pointing a shotgun at a sibling before children in the household tackled him.
Sharp was charged with two counts of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated assault.
Family members have said Sharp suffered a brain injury years before the shooting. A judge quickly sent him to the Utah State Hospital for evaluation. Reports from professionals there persuaded a judge Sharp was not able to assist in his own defense. There have been periodic reviews over the years, but the result was the same, according to court dockets.
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