A Tucson man accused of fatally shooting a woman during a dispute over payment for sex has been ruled competent to stand trial, clearing the way for his case to move forward a little over four months after her death. William Michael Pritchard, 33, was charged with murder in the June death of 38-year-old Aimee Leigh Kimble, whose body was found in the enclosed patio of his apartment.
According to the Arizona Daily Star, Pima County Superior Court Judge Mark Hotchkiss ruled on November 2 that Pritchard is competent to move forward with legal proceedings, after hearing the opinions of two doctors who evaluated him. The ruling came roughly two months after Pritchard was ordered on September 3 to undergo the competency evaluation. His next court date is set for December 22.
The case dates back to late June, when Pritchard was arrested and booked into the Pima County jail in connection with Kimble's fatal shooting at his apartment near East Golf Links Road and South Sarnoff Drive. Per an account carried by tucson.com, Pritchard's sister called 911 on June 29 after he told her he had shot a woman, prompting the investigation that led officers to the patio where Kimble's body was found.
What Pritchard Told Investigators
The interim complaint described in that same report lays out Pritchard's version of events to police. He said he and Kimble had met on social media and that she came to his apartment wanting money in exchange for sex. The two got into an argument because he did not want to have sex with her or pay her, and Pritchard said Kimble attacked him, hitting him in the groin, face and arms.
Pritchard told police he then grabbed his gun and pointed it at Kimble, who told him she was going to call a friend to come over to rob and kill him, the complaint states. He also told officers that Kimble had initially tried to break into his apartment. He was detained without incident, and investigators found his vehicle parked nearby with the rear seats folded down and a tarp laid across the back, according to the complaint.
Pritchard's sister also told police that her brother suffers from Asperger syndrome, the complaint said. Pritchard was later indicted in July on charges of second-degree murder, abandoning or concealing a body, and evidence tampering.
Autopsy Findings and Toxicology Results
An autopsy report cited by KOLD News 13 found that Kimble died from a gunshot wound to her torso, and her death was ruled a homicide. The same report documented at least four sharp-force cuts to her face and neck, along with blunt-force injuries elsewhere on her body. Toxicology results showed methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and alcohol in her system at the time of her death, the station reported.
KOLD also reported that Pritchard was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder and that his bond was set at $1 million. Court records show he was later indicted on the additional counts of abandoning or concealing a body and evidence tampering.
What Happens Next
Arizona law lays out what follows when a court initially finds a defendant incompetent: under A.R.S. § 13-4510, a judge must order treatment aimed at restoring competency unless clear and convincing evidence shows the defendant will not be restored within fifteen months. That statute addresses the general process for an initial incompetency finding and does not itself establish the basis for the ruling in Pritchard's case.
With Judge Hotchkiss's November 2 ruling now on the record, Pritchard's case is set to resume with a court date scheduled for December 22 in Pima County Superior Court.
