Essay On Rhett Neville

MILLERSBURG — A Millersburg man was not sane when he wrote threatening letters to three deputies and a judge while incarcerated in the Holmes County Jail in December.
Rhett Neville, 43, of 10489 Township Road 262, recently was found not guilty by reason of insanity in Holmes County Common Pleas Court, where he was charged with four counts of intimidation.
According to a statement of fact, Neville attempted to “influence, intimidate, or hinder a public servant,” specifically Deputies Geoff McVicker, Christopher Schonauer and Christopher Markley, as well as Holmes County Municipal Judge Jane Irving.
Citing two psychological evaluations of Neville, completed in the wake of his indictment, Judge Robert Rinfret issued the insanity finding.
It's not the first time Neville has

undergone court-ordered evaluation. Following a 2003 charge of menacing by stalking, filed in Holmes County Municipal Court, Neville was deemed incompetent to stand trial. He later was restored to competency and was found guilty of the charge.
His most recent evaluations detail a history of anxiety and drug and alcohol abuse.

Several times he was hospitalized with diagnoses include schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder, according to Rinfret's written decision.
“He reported that when actively mentally ill, he indicated he 'just had to write' threatening and mean letters,” according to an excerpt of the report prepared by Dr. Brian O'Reilly, which was referenced in Rinfret's decision.
Subsequent to his most recent arrest, Neville refused to cooperate with treatment, but eventually complied. A variety of medications have been used to stabilize his condition.
Both O'Reilly and Dr. James Karpawich agree Neville, as a result of his mental illness, did not know the wrongfulness of his actions at the time they were committed.
“Concerning his knowledge of wrongfulness, Mr. Neville indicates that he does not remember writing the letters or what information/threats were contained in the letters. … (H)e also indicated that he was religiously preoccupied and believed he was 'serving the Lord' by writing the letters,” according to Karpawich, who added, “It needs to be noted that when he wrote the threatening letters, he signed his

name.”
Subsequent to finding Neville not guilty by reason of insanity, Rinfret ordered further psychological evaluation to determine what, if any, type of treatment is required. A hearing on that matter has yet to be scheduled.
The charges stem from a Dec. 17 incident during which deputies responded to a suspicious person complaint along County Road 292. On arrival, deputies found Neville driving his lawn mower along the roadway, hauling a wagon load of unopened beer, said Chief Deputy Richard Haun.
Not only were deputies aware of an outstanding warrant for Neville's arrest, on an outstanding charge of menacing, they suspected he was under the influence, said Haun. Neville, who admitted to drinking one beer but refused to participate in field sobriety testing, noting they arrested him for such even though he refused to participate in field sobriety testing.
While in jail, Neville reportedly wrote letters threatening the lives of the judge and three officers, said Haun, adding the letters were intercepted by jail staff. Haun declined to provide details as to the specific threats made. However, Rinfret's decision makes mention of threats to “chop them into pieces, hit others with a lead pipe.”
Haun did say this is not the first time Neville has made threats to others, but the first time his threats have involved public servants in their official capacities, which is what made the allegations felonies.
Neville has pleaded not guilty to underlying OVI and menacing charges, which are pending in Holmes County Municipal Court.