A Holdrege man who was found not responsible for a double homicide by reason of insanity has been ordered to be evaluated at the Lincoln Regional Center.
In a ruling Friday, Phelps County Judge Stephen Illingworth said there is "clear and convincing evidence" that Gomez "poses a current danger to society and may likewise pose a danger to society."
Illingworth ordered Manuel Gomez, 48, to be transported to the center where he will remain for an in-patient evaluation not to exceed 90 days. The ruling did not make it clear what happens to Gomez after 90 days.
Gomez was found not responsible by reason of insanity in the February 2019 shooting deaths of 65-year-old Raymond Burton and 54-year-old David Rogers. Gomez was also accused of shooting his attorney, Doyle Morse, in the abdomen.
Court documents say that a psychiatrist examined the documents in the case, all incident reports, and Gomez’s mental health records before they determined Gomez is "severely mentally ill with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia."
The psychiatrist concluded that on the day of the shooting, Gomez “was experiencing such a severe exacerbation (psychosis) of his mental illness” and did not know that his acts were wrong.