The man indicted for the killing of three tourists at a rental property in Kissimmee earlier this year is competent to stand trial, an Osceola County judge ruled Thursday, despite what his psychiatrist described as his delusions.
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Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell’s office has yet to decide whether to pursue the death penalty in the high-profile case even as her office’s handling of the accused killer has come under fire from the state attorney general.
Ahmad Bojeh, 29, has for months been waiting on a determination as to his mental state following his arrest in January for the murders of three Ohio men who were staying near Bojeh’s home while visiting Central Florida: Douglas Kraft, 68, his brother Robert Kraft, 70, and their friend James Puchan, 69.
He has not yet entered a plea and remains in the Osceola County Jail.
The men were in town to attend a classic car show in Kissimmee and were waiting outside the rental unit for roadside assistance with their vehicle when Bojeh shot them, according to investigators.
It’s not clear why they were shot, but investigators said the shooting was unprovoked.
Bojeh was ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation ahead of his trial. If he were found incompetent, he would have been sent to a treatment facility until he could be reevaluated.
But on Thursday, Jeffrey Danziger, a court-appointed forensic psychiatrist, said Bojeh suffers from visual and auditory hallucinations and delusions but can be treated with medication.
He further concluded Bojeh understands the case against him, as he was apparently caught intentionally giving incorrect answers to questions about the legal process.
“He knew many of the correct answers and consciously and deliberately provided the incorrect ones, and given the situation, the reasonable cause is to try to portray himself as less knowledgeable of the legal system than he truly is, and feign incompetency,” Danziger said, WESH reported.
Thursday’s hearing took place after a failed attempt by Bojeh’s public defender to close it to the public. Bojeh’s next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 17.
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A grand jury indicted Bojeh in February on three charges of first-degree murder, which could carry a death sentence if convicted.
When his indictment was announced, Worrell said it would be up to her office’s Capital Case Review Panel to determine whether prosecutors would seek the death penalty.
No determination had been made as of Friday. Prosecutors have asked the court for extensions in both April and July, saying more time was needed before making a decision.
According to court filings, prosecutors and Bojeh’s attorney have been reaching out to witnesses who could help determine whether the death penalty is warranted in this case. Some live in the Middle East, and Bojeh’s defense told prosecutors they had difficulty interviewing them “due to ongoing travel restrictions and dangers related to the ongoing military conflict,” according to a state filing.
Bojeh’s murder case caught the attention of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who lambasted Worrell for not pursuing a conviction more aggressively against Bojeh in 2021, when he was tried by a judge for attempted murder.
In that trial, Bojeh faced charges of shooting into parked cars outside a Wawa gas station. It ended in a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, with the judge ordering he undergo treatment at an outpatient facility.
Records show he was complying with the court’s requirements, including taking his medication, but stopped at some point once the cost of his treatment skyrocketed. The lapse was not reported to the court by his case manager ahead of the killings in January.
Worrell said in February that the 2021 case and his subsequent lack of treatment could factor into whether the death penalty is pursued.
She said earlier this month that Gov. Ron DeSantis was on the verge of removing her from office for a second time amid Uthmeier’s criticisms of her, which include her office’s handling of Bojeh as well as her refusing to drop a murder case against a woman convicted of killing a man in a road rage shooting despite defense claims under the state “Stand your Ground” law.