This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A 31-year-old Castle Dale man charged with the 2009 shotgun slaying of his parents was ordered to undergo another 36 months of treatment in the Utah State Hospital after a judge ruled he is still incompetent to stand trial on homicide charges.
Peter Simon Sharp is charged in 7th District Court with two counts of first-degree felony aggravated murder for allegedly killing his father, William Sharp, 51, and mother, Charmaine Sharp, 52, at the family's home. Sharp also is charged with aggravated assault for allegedly pointing the shotgun at his 12-year-old sister.
The defendant has been housed at the state hospital since February 2010. On Tuesday, Judge George Harmond Jr. ruled that Sharp cannot understand the charges against him and cannot assist in his own defense, according to court records. Another review hearing was set for next July 2015.
In 2010, Harmond wrote in his decision regarding Sharp's competency that, according to the evaluators, possible diagnoses for Sharp included catatonic schizophrenia, psychotic disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, cognitive disorder, schizotypal personality disorder and borderline intellectual functioning.
Emery County Sheriff Lamar Guymon has said that on the morning of Oct. 21, 2009, Sharp used a shotgun to kill his father in the bedroom of their home, then killed his mother in the kitchen. Minutes later, deputies found the defendant walking on Main Street and arrested him.
An uncle, Kelly Sharp, has previously told The Salt Lake Tribune that Peter Sharp — the oldest of 10 children in the family — suffered brain damage during a truck crash years ago.
Guymon has said Peter Sharp's mental disability appears to be the cause of the shooting.
Twitter: @jm_miller