How does a mentally ill murder suspect simply walk away from an appointment and vanish for two weeks? The questions come after that happened with a suspect in a St. John the Baptist Parish crime who disappeared in New Orleans.Jermaine Diggs, suspected of stabbing his brother to death in 2006, was ruled not competent to stand trial. He has been allowed to live in the community, checking in periodically with the Louisiana Department of Health. Spokesman Bob Johannessen says if that's the judge's orders, that's what they have to do."Those orders that are determined by the court, as the department, we have to follow court orders," Johannessen said. "So an individual who is being allowed to live in the community, by the courts, in a situation like that, is required to report in to the agency every day."
Diggs was supposed to check in every day, but he hasn't been heard from since he left a court-ordered psychiatric appointment on June 26. The Department of Health notified New Orleans Police, who issued a missing person alert the following day. That notice did not mention Diggs' status as a murder suspect. "I have no idea how that arrangement took place," said St. John Sheriff Mike Tregre. Tregre says the conversation about the appropriateness of Diggs' release will have to wait. The suspect's location, the sheriff said, is a much more important matter."The crime he committed is second degree murder of his own family member," said Tregre. "Again, I have no idea how these arrangements came about."