Mental Competency Trial Underway for Man Accused of Killing Two Concho County Deputies

SAN ANGELO, TX — Jeffery Nicholas, 32, accused of capital murder in the 2021 shooting deaths of two Concho County sheriff’s deputies and the injury of a City of Eden employee, is the subject of a mental competency trial this week in San Angelo.

Nicholas has been held in the Tom Green County Jail on a $6 million bond since May 11, 2021. His capital murder trial, originally scheduled in Concho County, was relocated to Tom Green County due to the difficulty of assembling a large enough jury pool in the rural county.

On Monday, potential jurors underwent selection for a civil trial to determine whether Nicholas is mentally competent to stand trial. The civil jury was seated around 3 p.m. and includes 12 jurors and two alternates. The trial is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 22.

Mental competency hearings are typically settled by a judge, as both prosecution and defense often agree on the findings. However, in this case, conflicting evaluations prompted a full jury trial. An initial state assessment found Nicholas competent, but a second evaluation requested by the defense concluded otherwise.

The jury will now weigh the evidence from both sides and decide if Nicholas is fit to face trial, which is tentatively scheduled for May 2025.

Nicholas is accused of fatally shooting Concho County deputies Stephen Jones and Samuel Leonard on his property in Eden after they arrived to investigate a report involving a pack of dogs allegedly terrorizing the neighborhood. According to reports at the time, Nicholas refused to cooperate and ordered the deputies off his property before opening fire. A third person, City of Eden employee Ronnie Winans, was shot in the stomach when a bullet penetrated the door of a city truck. He survived.

Nicholas is charged with two counts of capital murder of a peace officer and one count of aggravated assault against a public servant. The Texas Rangers are leading the investigation.

More about the incident:

• Capital Murder: What Really Went Down in Eden, Texas
• BREAKING: Concho County Sheriff Identifies Fallen Deputies
• Texas DPS Makes Statement About 2 Killed Law Enforcement Officers in Eden