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Mental health test ordered for woman in fatal Pinal shooting

The Eloy Enterprise - 6/6/2017

FLORENCE - A Red Rock woman suspected of shooting her domestic partner has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.

Michele Butler, 56, is accused of killing 53-year-old Kimberly Shelton on Dec. 28, 2015, at the couple's Red Rock home. The suspect was found by law enforcement at the scene of the crime, unarmed and holding a rooster.

She was instructed to drop the bird and exit the residence before being taken into custody. Shelton was transported to a Tucson hospital but later died from her gunshot wounds.

The women had reportedly been living together for at least 15 years before Shelton's death. A family member told investigators the couple had had some domestic problems.

Butler is scheduled to stand trial for first-degree murder on Sept. 12, but that date may be reset based on the findings of a mental health evaluation.

On Monday, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Kevin White granted a Rule 11 request from Butler's attorney, Genii Rogers. It is customary for defense attorneys to request psychiatric screenings, known as Rule 11 evaluations, when it's believed a defendant might not be mentally competent to stand trial.

Based on recent conversations with Butler, her attorney said she felt it necessary for the defendant to be prescreened by mental health professionals. Rogers was recently appointed as Butler's new attorney. According to court records, it appears Butler's former attorney had not previously made a Rule 11 request on her behalf.

Rogers also asked the judge to vacate the current trial date, since the Rule 11 proceedings may delay the litigation process. Deputy County Attorney Sean Coll said he wouldn't object to a brief continuance but indicated he was frustrated over the timing of the Rule 11 request since the trial is only a few months away.

A plea deal had been offered to Butler in January but the prosecution later rescinded the deal.

In the end, White affirmed the September trial date but instructed Rogers to submit a motion to vacate. The parties will reconvene June 26. Butler remains in the custody of the Pinal County jail on $1 million bond.