Second Jail Arc: Difference between revisions

On March 3, 2026, a month after the hearing, Judge Regina M. Rodriguez ruled that Daniel was '''mentally''' '''competent to stand trial''' following 20 months of institutionalization and competency restoration efforts. Daniel disputed that his competency had been restored. <ref>https://larsonleak.net/leakweek/federal-judge-finds-daniel-larson-competent-to-proceed-sets-trial-date</ref> The case will finally proceed to trial, which is scheduled for April 20, 2026. <ref>https://larsonleak.net/leakweek/federal-judge-finds-daniel-larson-competent-to-proceed-sets-trial-date</ref> He will have a pretrial hearing on April 9, 2026.   

Dr. Katlyn Hanson diagnosed Daniel with Level 1 autism spectrum disorder and an unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder. She reported that although Daniel demonstrated an understanding of the charges against him and the potential consequences, he tended to minimize the seriousness of the allegations and she was concerned about his ability to assist his attorney in his defense. When Daniel arrived to MCFP Springfield in December 2024, he remained grounded in his beliefs that he was dating [[Grace]], and would even constantly talk about him and Grace with staff at Springfield and his defense. Dr. Katlyn Hanson stated that this delusional beliefs were strengthened by the trolls who interacted with him during his online infamy, and that he received prison mail at Springfield containing screenshots of text messages between him and fake Graces. By February 2025, Daniel began taking antipsychotic meds, which reduced his delusions, and finally acknowledged that Grace had nothing to do with his case. However, he still aspires to be a celebrity singer/songwriter. 

Dr. Mark Mills testified that Daniel could not be fully restored to competency because his cognitive deficits come from his autism and borderline intellectual functioning, which are considered untreatable. While his delusions improved with the antipsychotic medication and structured treatment at Springfield, Dr. Mills emphasized that Daniel's autism was the controlling diagnosis, preventing him from fully understanding or interacting with his defense team, or recalling information about the threats he made at the time. Dr. Mills also further noted that although Daniel preferred to be found competent and go to trial, his preference likely reflected his cognitive limitations and tendency to agree rather than a fully informed understanding of the legal proceedings, and that he would be unlikely to recall or explain his mental state at the time he allegedly made the threats.   

Daniel's mental health history was also documented. The document indicated that he had been hitting himself and punching holes in walls since at least 2011, and that he had been hospitalized twice for these behaviors, once in 2017 and again in 2023 (the 2023 one might be related to the [[Christmas Day Meltdown]].). Daniel was also reported to have hit his head in FCI Englewood out of frustration. In 2011, Daniel's mother shared that he had a "non-accidental head injury" at three weeks old and had a seizure at five months. Daniel has also claimed that his mother hit him in the head with a hammer when he was eight years old, though the accuracy of this claim is uncertain. His IQ was reported to be 72, which is slightly above the typical threshold for an intellectual disability.   

Daniel no longer qualifies for a free attorney, and his previous attorney, Jared Westbroek, withdrew from the case. Daniel was subsequently reassigned to Jeffrey Feiler, who had represented him the previous year. <ref>https://larsonleak.net/leakweek/daniel-assigned-new-attorney-as-westbroek-withdraws-from-case</ref>