The murder case against Briley Shayne Turner, a 27-year-old Bloomington woman accused in the 2024 Kinser Flats attack that left a man critically wounded, is on hold after a judge raised concerns about her ability to stand trial. What was supposed to be a march toward a jury now has a tentative trial date of April 6, with a key hearing set for Wednesday. The pause follows reports of two incidents involving Turner at the Monroe County Jail and new felony charges prosecutors filed in February.
Turner’s public defender told the court she is not mentally competent to face a jury, and the judge appointed two psychiatrists to evaluate her, according to The Herald-Times. The outlet reports the judge tentatively reset the trial and scheduled a competency hearing to sort through the experts’ findings and the newly filed charges. Prosecutors say Turner is charged with murder, attempted murder and aggravated battery in connection with the Aug. 18, 2024 attack.
The confrontation unfolded on Aug. 18, 2024 at an apartment in the Kinser Flats complex and left 36-year-old Michael Ray Hodge with multiple stab and blunt-force injuries; an autopsy listed his death as a homicide, according to WFIU. Police and court records describe a bloody baseball bat and a spike‑tipped tire tool recovered at the scene, and neighbors told officers they heard screaming the night of the assault. Hodge’s death and the move to upgrade charges were reported when prosecutors moved to upgrade charges last fall.
While Turner has been jailed awaiting trial, Monroe County Jail staff reported two January incidents in which she allegedly made inappropriate sexual comments and grabbed officers’ genitals. Those encounters led to new counts of sexual battery and battery of a public safety officer, The Herald-Times reports. Prosecutors followed up in February with three additional felony charges tied to Turner’s conduct behind bars, filings that, along with the competency questions, prompted the judge to halt the trial schedule and order psychiatric exams.
What a competency finding could mean
Under Indiana law, judges must hold a hearing and may appoint independent psychiatrists or psychologists when there is reason to doubt a defendant’s ability to understand the proceedings. If a judge finds a defendant incompetent, the case can be continued while the state provides competency restoration services, according to the Indiana Office of Court Services. In some situations, the law also permits courts to consider dismissing charges if competency cannot be restored, though that typically comes only after extended evaluation and treatment.
Next up is Wednesday’s hearing at the Monroe County Courthouse, where the judge is expected to review the psychiatric appointments and hear from both sides before deciding whether the case is ready to move forward or should remain on ice. For now, the April 6 trial date stays on the calendar, but it could easily be pushed back again depending on what the evaluations reveal and whether prosecutors file anything further.
