The stepfather of an 11-year-old New Hampshire girl found dead in a river in 2011 was held without bail on a second-degree murder charge on Tuesday.
Wendell Noyes, 52, of Stewartstown, was arrested Monday at the state psychiatric hospital in the slaying of Celina Cass. The girl was reported missing from her home on July 26, 2011, and her body was recovered from the Connecticut River six days later.
Noyes, who is accused of killing Cass by submerging her body in the river, was arraigned Tuesday. Due to the serious nature of the charge, he is not eligible for bail.
Most of the discussion at Tuesday's hearing centered around Noyes' competency. He has been hospitalized since Dec. 29 and has previously been deemed incompetent to stand trial by a judge on unrelated misdemeanor charges.
His attorney said there is a continuing concern about his competency, and asked that a follow up evaluation be conducted. The judge agreed, and said no further hearings will be scheduled until that happens.
At the time of her disappearance, Celina lived with Noyes, her mother, her 13-year-old sister and the 22-year-old son of one of her mother's former boyfriends. Both men were later subpoenaed to testify at grand jury proceedings related to the case. In February, a major crimes squad truck was seen parked outside Noyes' trailer.
