A Baltimore judge has delayed deciding whether Deluntae Boyd is mentally competent to stand trial in the death of Robert Horstman, granting two more weeks to review information that surfaced in the case. The delay keeps a long-running Northeast Baltimore homicide prosecution in limbo more than two years after the fatal beating.
Judge Gale E. Rasin granted the extension Tuesday in Baltimore City Circuit Court’s mental health court, and Boyd is expected to return on Aug. 12. The details of the new information were not disclosed, according to Baltimore Witness. Neither the prosecutor nor Boyd’s defense attorney, Andre Mahasa, objected to the postponement.
Why The Competency Review Matters
Competency is not a finding of guilt or innocence; it addresses whether a defendant can understand the charges and assist a lawyer in mounting a defense. The Baltimore City Circuit Court says competency cases can involve court-ordered evaluations and, depending on findings about competency and dangerousness, treatment or supervised release.
The case began after an April 17, 2024 assault outside the Checkers restaurant on Moravia Road. Baltimore police said investigators arrested Boyd after a beating that left a 40-year-old man critically injured, charging him with attempted first-degree murder, robbery, assault and theft, according to the Baltimore Police Department.
Charging documents described a confrontation that started after Boyd allegedly took food from Horstman’s table. Surveillance footage cited by WMAR-2 News showed Horstman being pushed to the ground, punched in the face twice and stomped on the head eight times.
Horstman suffered brain swelling and bleeding, fell into a coma and was later placed in hospice care before dying on July 30, 2024. His death was classified as a homicide caused by complications of blunt-force injuries, and Boyd’s latest hearing marked his fifth postponement since March 2025, Baltimore Witness reported.
A motion seeking a competency evaluation was filed in February 2025, and a Maryland Department of Health letter later stated that Boyd had been evaluated in March. Until the court resolves the competency question, the case cannot move forward to a trial on the allegations.
