Brooklyn, NY – A Brooklyn man accused of murdering his mother has been transferred to Bellevue Hospital for a psychiatric assessment due to a delay in key evidence. David Drummond, 30, who allegedly suffers from schizophrenia, could potentially be released if cleared after the evaluation.
The victim, 67-year-old Shirley Awer, was found dead, and her body was discovered in a box in their shared East Flatbush apartment. However, the confirmation of Awer’s cause of death through an autopsy is still pending, leading to further delays in the legal process. Without the official autopsy report, Drummond’s alleged confession of hitting his mother cannot be corroborated.
His mother’s remains were badly decomposed, making it difficult to complete the autopsy, and authorities don’t know how she died, with the possibility that she may have died from natural causes. Without a cause of death, prosecutors are unable to present a grand jury with any evidence to try to indict Drummond.
As a result of the missing autopsy results, prosecutors have been unable to present their case to a grand jury, resulting in a standstill in Drummond’s trial. According to a source, the assistant district attorney did not have enough information to indict him, and he will probably be released.
The person also stated that Drummond has “a long psych history.”
“We have no good option. He can’t stay in the hospital indefinitely, but it’s not safe to release him into the community.”
Consequently, a judge ordered his temporary transfer to the civilian unit at Bellevue for a mental health evaluation, which took place on November 9. However, concerns have arisen as the law does not allow potentially dangerous individuals to be held indefinitely unless they are deemed an immediate threat.
Sources indicate that Drummond’s father had previously reported escalating threats made by his son towards Awer in the weeks leading up to her tragic death. Drummond is scheduled to appear in court again on February 22.