Ward Weaver Competent to Stand Trial

A series of long trial delays apparently ended for Ward Weaver, accused of killing two teenage girls in 2002, when an Oregon City judge ruled he was able to stand trial after Weaver's attorneys withdrew their motion that their client was not mentally fit to assist in his own defense.

Weaver faces charges in the murder of 12-year-old Ashley Pond, who disappeared on her way to school Jan. 9, 2002 and her 13-year-old friend Miranda Gaddis, who vanished two months later. Their remains were found on his property by FBI agents in August of 2002.

Judge Robert Herndon is expected to set a trial date sometime this month. The families of the victims have been frustrated over the courtroom delays in the case.

In other developments in the case, the mother of Miranda Gaddis has filed a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department and the Oregon City Police Department claiming the agencies failed to warn neighbors that Weaver was a potential threat when they discovered his background while investigating Ashley Pond's disappearance.

Michelle Duffey, Miranda's mother, claims their negligence lead to the kidnapping and murder of Miranda, two months after Ashley was killed.

See KATU news: Judge Rules Ward Weaver Is Fit to Stand Trial

Background: Profile of Ward Weaver III
See Also: The Ward Weaver Case