A man accused of a knife attack that killed one person and wounded 3 others at a Redding transitional housing facility has been deemed mentally unfit to stand trial. 31-year-old Christopher Jordan Witcher is being held without bail for the incident on October 8th during a meeting at the Market Street Manor, a former motel in Downtown Redding that now serves as transitional housing. 57-year-old Donna Kathleen Ceremony died, one of the men had major trauma to his face and another man had significant stab wounds in his torso. Both underwent emergency surgery. The other man’s wounds were not as serious. Witcher, who had been staying at the facility for two weeks, was released from prison in Colorado earlier this year after serving time for stabbing someone. After his defense questioned his competency, 31-year-old Christopher Witcher underwent an evaluation and returned to court Tuesday. A judge ordered him to be placed in the custody of a psychiatric program. If he is eventually found to be able to fully understand the charges against him, he may return to a Shasta County courtroom to be tried for murder and attempted murder.
-Steve Gibson