INDReporter

Alleged cop killer deemed mentally unfit for trial

by Patrick Flanagan

Thinking himself the "son of God," the man charged with the 2013 killing of an officer of the Chitimacha Tribal Police will not stand trial following a ruling Thursday on his mental competency.

Wilbert Thibodeaux

Thinking himself the "son of God," the man charged with the 2013 killing of an officer of the Chitimacha Tribal Police will not stand trial following a ruling Thursday on his mental competency.

The ruling came after a nearly three hour hearing Thursday from 16th Judicial District Judge Keith Comeaux, whose decision was based largely on the testimonies of two psychiatrists on the mental well-being of Wilbert Thibodeaux.

According to this report from The Advocate, the 49-year-old Thibodeaux - who was arrested in Jan. 2013 for the killing of Sgt. Rick Riggenbach and 78-year-old Charenton resident Eddie Lyons and charged by a grand jury in March 2013 with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder - entered the courtroom Thursday with a smile on his face.

But that smile likely had nothing to do with Riggenbach or Lyons, as based on the testimony given by two court-appointed psychiatrists, Sarah DeLand and Michelle Garriga, Williams has a long history of mental illness tracing back to his childhood. When he was 24-years-old, doctors diagnosed him with schizophrenia.

Following a series of psychological evaluations conducted in July, Garriga and DeLand concluded that Williams was suffering from severe delusions and truly believes he's God's son.

DeLand describes it as "magical thinking," saying "He indicated that he was shot 30 times and all the bullets bounced off of him. He has the idea that all this will be sorted out when people realize who he is."

Williams thinks "he was definitely chosen by God," and that he's been blessed with the ability to heal the sick. "He doesn't think there's anything wrong with him," adds Garriga.

Sgt. Rick Riggenbach

The fallen officer's family also was in court Thursday, with one of Riggenbach's daughters, Alesha Chamberland commenting on Williams' happy disposition during the hearing, telling The Advocate, "The thing that gets me is, he's happy about it."

With prosecution now pulled from the table - including a possible death penalty - Williams, according to Comeaux's ruling, will be transferred to the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health Center for psychological and drug treatment.