DANVILLE, Va. (WSET) — The defense attorney for Shotsie Buck Hayes, who is accused of setting Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler on fire, has requested a mental health expert to evaluate Hayes’s mental state.
In an ex parte hearing, the defense is requesting appointment of an expert regarding the defendant’s mental condition at the time of the offense, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Newman.
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Hayes was arrested in July last year for allegedly dousing Vogler with gasoline and setting him on fire outside Vogler’s private office at Showcase Magazine.
Vogler has since undergone several surgeries for second and third-degree burns. Hayes’s defense filed a mental competency hearing for trial. In December, a judge ruled Hayes competent to stand trial.
If convicted, Hayes faces up to life in prison. His four-day trial is scheduled for April.