A Durham judge has ruled that 41-year-old Andrea Faust cannot currently stand trial on first-degree murder and attempted-murder charges, ordering her into inpatient psychiatric care instead of continuing with regular court proceedings.
Faust was arrested in mid-February after Durham police found two small children unresponsive in a home; one later died and the other was hospitalized. Court records cited by the judge describe multiple suicide attempts and serious injuries Faust suffered while in custody. Those details persuaded the court to put the brakes on the criminal case while doctors evaluate whether she is mentally capable of facing trial in the future.
Judge orders transfer for inpatient evaluation
The judge signed an order sending Faust to Central Regional Hospital’s Butner campus for temporary custody, examination and treatment, according to WRAL. Forensic clinicians there will evaluate whether she can be restored to competency and address what the court has identified as acute psychiatric needs.
The custody order stresses that Faust is to receive immediate, intensive treatment and monitoring. Any move to restart the criminal case will depend on whether clinicians decide her competency can be restored.
How the case began
According to reporting by ABC11, Durham police arrested Faust after officers responded to a home on the 10 block of Chartwell Court and found two small children unresponsive. One child later died and the other was taken to a hospital.
Prosecutors charged Faust with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in connection with that incident. Neighbors told local outlets they were stunned by the allegations and described the family as mostly quiet and caring before the tragedy.
Court filings recount suicide attempts, injuries
Documents filed in Durham County court and reviewed by WRAL say Faust attempted suicide twice in February while in custody. The filings also describe multiple bone and spine fractures that required surgery in what the records call an apparent suicide attempt.
While held at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, Faust also tried to accumulate over-the-counter medication, which jail staff interpreted as an effort to harm herself, according to the documents. Those incidents were central to the judge’s conclusion that she poses a danger to herself and requires inpatient psychiatric care.
What the incapacity finding means
Under North Carolina procedures, judges can halt criminal trials when a defendant is found incapable to proceed and can order inpatient evaluation or involuntary commitment while doctors attempt restoration, according to forms and guidance from the North Carolina Judicial Branch.
The state’s Forensic Services unit conducts capacity-to-proceed evaluations and handles many pretrial assessments at Central Regional Hospital, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services notes. If clinicians determine a defendant cannot be restored in the foreseeable future, the court can consider civil-commitment options while the underlying criminal charges remain pending.
Family's plea and neighborhood reaction
During earlier court appearances, Faust’s husband described the case as a mental-health crisis and urged her to seek treatment, according to ABC11. "Andrea, I'm begging you please, no more attempts to harm yourself," he told the judge, according to that reporting.
Neighbors told reporters they were shocked by the allegations and said they had not seen obvious warning signs of the kind of breakdown described in court filings.
What's next for the case
The custody order triggers a series of reviews and hearings required under state law to monitor Faust’s mental-health treatment and any progress toward restoring competency, according to the North Carolina Judicial Branch. Central Regional Hospital will report back to the court, and judges will hold periodic hearings to decide whether she can safely return to court.
If clinicians ultimately conclude that restoration is not possible, the court may move to civil remedies while keeping the criminal charges on the docket. For now, the case remains on hold while doctors assess Faust’s capacity and safety.
