A state psychologist assigned to work on the case involving the murder of an MSU professor says the defendant is fit to stand trial.
Edward Gutting, 46, is accused of murdering Professor Marc Cooper at his house in August of 2016. He reportedly chased Cooper into the Kitchen after entering through the back door wielding a knife.
A probable cause statement said Coopers wife tried to stop him, and that Gutting told her “it was between [him] and Cooper” and that he wouldn’t kill her if he didn’t have to do so.
Gutting’s legal defense requested that he be evaluated to see if he was mentally capable of standing trial.
Tests initially came back in December of 2018 finding him unstable, saying he was “incompetent to proceed at this time.” However, a letter from the Department of Mental Health that arrived last week said, after over a year of treatment, Gutting’s assessment had changed and they now considered him competent to proceed.
Gutting’s legal defense has requested a second opinion.
His next court appearance is scheduled for April 3.
Gutting taught in MSU’s Department of Modern and Classical Languages and previously taught in the same department as Cooper from 2011-2014. Gutting had obtained his degree from Princeton University.
