Roland Mitchell Dampeer appeared in federal court Tuesday afternoon for a hearing to determine his competence to stand trial in the murder of postal worker Sherry Ingold, who was shot in the head on Jan. 16 as she delivered mail along Highway 35 in Hesterville. Ingold later succumbed to her injuries at UMMC in Jackson.Dampeer entered the courtroom handcuffed, wearing an orange jumpsuit. He swiveled in his chair from time to time as he awaited the beginning of the proceedings before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Sharion Aycock. The hearing itself was short, as both prosecutor Paul Roberts and defense attorney Scott Davis agreed to allow a psychological evaluation of Dampeer — indicating that he is not currently competent to stand trial — to be accepted by the court without challenge. Aycock gave both Roberts and Davis an opportunity to question the doctor who prepared the report — available via video conference — but cautioned that only procedural questions would be permitted. Aycock did not allow discussion of or questions about the details of Dampeer’s mental health or history during the hearing. The report is currently sealed by the court. Dampeer shook his head as a segment of the report was read aloud in court, indicating he is “currently suffering from mental disease and can’t appreciate the nature and consequences of the proceedings and cannot help his counsel in his defense.” Before adjourning the proceedings, Aycock ordered Dampeer committed to an appropriate federal facility for up to four months to determine if it is likely that he can be returned to competence to stand trial, as requested by the prosecution. The prosecution also filed a motion asking that the court further order Dampeer committed for an additional period until his condition improves to the point that the case against him can proceed, but that motion was not addressed during this hearing.Prosecutors later told the family it will likely be as many as six months before the next court date.Both before and after the hearing, the prosecution team met with the more than 15 Ingold family members in attendance. Prior to the hearing, they sought to explain what the family could expect during the hearing.Afterward, family members asked questions about what to expect going forward and what investigators had thus far learned about the incident that resulted in Sherry Ingold’s death. They questioned connections between that incident and the alleged interactions between Dampeer and Andrea Goss, who he reportedly attempted to kidnap from the Sunflower supermarket and then allegedly came into contact with a second time along Highway 35 moments before he is accused of having shot Ingold.Several family members questioned whether investigators were aware of a variety of information they had heard related to the case. Bob Norman, criminal chief of the US Attorney’s Office, suggested that the prosecution would facilitate a family meeting with the case investigator to ensure that any potential information would be collected and investigated if it hadn’t been already.Norman said the family should consider it a positive that the suspect faces charges in both federal court (in the case of Ingold’s murder) and in state court (in the case of the kidnapping charges related to the Goss incidents). A kidnapping conviction, he said, could bring up to a life sentence.Norman told family members that, while it may be frustrating to keep hearing about the defendant’s rights, ensuring that they are preserved will hopefully mean that there would be little for the defense to appeal if Dampeer is eventually convicted of Ingold’s murder.Vickie Dees Gove, Sherry Ingold’s closest friend, told the prosecution team what the family expects from them.“We just hope you will be up front and honest with us,” she said, after which another family member added, “We’re putting our hearts in your hands.”Following the post-hearing meeting, Sherry Ingold’s daughter, Kristy, who has been acting as family spokesman, said that the hearing itself was generally what had been expected.“We had more interaction with them (the prosecution) today than we’ve ever had. The hearing went as expected. There were no surprises,” she said.But that didn’t mean it was easy for her or other family members since it was the first time they saw the man accused of her mother’s murder face-to-face.“Seeing him was really the worst part,” she said. “What got me, what was a trigger for me, is that (his) is the last face she saw.”
