DANVILLE, Va. — Authorities in Virginia have rescheduled a competency hearing for a man who police say killed the wife, son and mother-in-law of a minor league baseball pitcher.
The Danville Register & Bee reports that Mathew Bernard, 19, was set to have his competency review and determination hearing on Wednesday. It would have helped authorities decide whether Bernard understands the first-degree murder charges against him.
The hearing was rescheduled for May so that Bernard could seek further review of treatment. Defense attorney James C. Martin had filed a motion last year for Bernard to get a competence and sanity evaluation.
Authorities say Bernard killed his sister, Emily Marie Bivens, and her 1-year-old son Cullen Bivens, and his mother, Joan Bernard, in late August.
Emily Bivens was married to Blake Bivens, a pitcher for the Montgomery Biscuits in Alabama. They are an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.