NORTH CAROLINA (WVEC) -- The man accused of kidnapping and murdering Ashanti Billie will appear in federal court Thursday. Ahead of the hearing, new court documents give insight into Eric Brown's mental state and his behavior behind bars.
Authorities have already said, right now, Eric Brown is incompetent to stand trial, but new filings reveal they believe his mental health has "deteriorated" behind bars.
Thursday morning, prosecutors and defense attorneys will argue about the decision by doctors at the federal prison to forcibly medicate the Navy veteran.
These new court records give a timeline of Eric Brown's behaviors, which prosecutors describe as "odd" and "concerning."
According to the motion, the concerns started during the investigation of Ashanti Billie's kidnapping from J.E.B. Little Creek-Fort Story, while law enforcement watched Brown
Those behaviors continued after his arrest. While in jail, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Brown "lying still or standing and staring at the wall, smearing feces and urine in his mouth and on his body, expressing concerns about other inmates plotting to kill him, and only agreeing to consume Gatorade and Ensure, resulting in a loss of 18 pounds in one month"
In December when authorities moved Brown to the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, they said he "constantly denied that he was charged with a crime, denied hiring a lawyer, demanded to be released immediately, stating that he has been kidnapped."
Most recently, this month at FMC Butner, a nurse recalled Brown had covered his cell window. When she looked at video from inside the cell, "Brown was standing naked and motionless in front of his door." He stayed that way "for at least thirty minutes."
Doctors at the federal prison conducted a hearing, and have proposed forcibly medicating Brown. However, the Navy veteran's attorneys argued the procedure was flawed and are now asking a judge to hear the evidence.
A hearing to debate these issues is set for Thursday morning. 13News Now will be inside the courtroom and bring you the latest details as we uncover them.
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