McKinley Judge Orders Competency Eval for Man Charged in Infant Son's Death

Criminal proceedings against John Hannon, 43, of Flora Vista have been suspended after District Judge Bradley Keeler transferred the case to the competency docket on March 3, halting what was already a procedurally turbulent case in McKinley County.

Hannon is charged with first-degree felony child abuse resulting in death in the killing of his 11-month-old son. The child was reported missing, and his partially buried body was found in a ditch two days later.

Before Keeler ever took the bench in this case, it passed through four other judges. District Judge Curtis Gurley recused himself first. The case was then reassigned on Feb. 20 to Judge Stephen Wayne, who also recused himself. District Judge Brenna Clani-Washinawatok and District Judge Brad Dalley both stepped aside three days after that reassignment, on Feb. 23. The cascade of recusals ultimately transferred the case to Keeler, based in Gallup.

Keeler presided over a detention hearing on Feb. 24 to determine whether Hannon would be held in custody until trial. During that hearing, defense attorney Nicole Hall told Keeler she wanted to waive the time for the defense hearing and instead request a competency evaluation. Hall followed through the next day, filing a motion on Feb. 25 requesting that Hannon be sent to the New Mexico Department of Health and Human Services for a forensic competency evaluation.

Keeler granted the request a week later, suspending the case on March 3 and sending it to the competency docket. The result of the Feb. 24 detention hearing has not been made public in available court records.

No timeline has been disclosed for when Hannon will be evaluated or when the competency docket proceedings might conclude.