NORFOLK, Va. — Prosecutors want a judge to order the accused killer of Ashanti Billie to be involuntarily medicated so he can stand trial.
For nearly two years, prosecutors and the defense attorneys for Eric Brown have been going back-and-forth with the courts to determine whether he is competent to stand trial. During that time, federal officials have determined Brown needs antipsychotics for schizophrenia.
19-year-old Ashanti Billie disappeared from JEB Little Creek-Fort Story in September of 2017. Her body was found days later in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In response to her death, legislators passed the Ashanti Alert Act, creating a nationwide alert system for missing, endangered adults.
RELATED: Ashanti Alert signed into law
A hearing for this new order could happen as soon as November.
Prosecutors said U.S. Attorney General William Barr directed them to not seek capital punishment in the case if Brown were to be convicted.