KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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Marcus Cassella, a 25-year-old man from Lawrence, was charged Monday with first-degree murder in the death of his grandmother, according to Douglas County District Court documents.
RELATED | Lawrence, Kansas, man arrested overnight on suspicion of murder
The Lawrence, Kansas, Police Department (LKPD) took Cassella into custody Saturday morning after he allegedly confessed to strangling his grandmother.
Police say they were called to a home near Clinton Parkway and Crestline Drive around 2 a.m. Saturday morning. Cassella opened the door and arrested without incident, per LKPD.
Court documents allege Cassella intentionally killed his grandmother in a premeditated manner.
Lynn Abrams, 70, is listed as the victim in court documents. Police say she was found unresponsive in her bed. She was pronounced dead at the home.
Officers say Cassella's 24-year-old brother was found unharmed in a bedroom with the door closed, according to LKPD.
Attorney Razmi Tahirkheli was appointed Monday to represent Cassella.
Douglas County District Court Judge Stacey Donovan found reason to believe Cassella is incompetent to stand trial based on his inability to understand what he is charged with, according to court documents. On Monday, court ordered a competency examination for Cassella.
Cassella is set to return to court at 10 a.m. on May 5, but the hearing could be postponed if the competency examination is incomplete.
If found guilty, Cassella could face life imprisonment.
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