Woman, 74, accused of killing and dismembering boyfriend likely to be civilly committed
Nelci Tetley is accused of killing and dismembering her boyfriend in 2017. She has also been described as a person of interest in the case of another dismembered man.
A woman accused of killing and dismembering her boyfriend in Daytona Beach could be headed to civil commitment in a secure facility as several health experts determined she cannot be mentally restored to competency.
Nelci S. Tetley, 74, was indicted Feb. 9, 2018, on a charge of first-degree murder with a firearm in the killing of her boyfriend, Jeffery Albertsman, who was shot to death and then dismembered in 2017. But her case has stalled over issues concerning her mental competency to stand trial and aid in her own defense.
Albertsman’s dismembered corpse was discovered almost 10 years after the dismembered body of Michael Scot Louis was found inside garbage bags along the banks of the Tomoka River in Ormond Beach. Tetley has been described as a person of interest in the Louis case.
Tetley, who has been held at the Volusia County Branch Jail since January 2018, also asked Monday to be allowed to see her daughter.
Circuit Judge Elizabeth Blackburn set a hearing for April 11 at which point Tetley's case may move to civil court where she could be civilly committed.
However, prosecutors could seek to have Tetley evaluated again to see if an expert states that she could be mentally restored to competency to stand trial. That would likely lead to a competency hearing.
That seemed unlikely based on statements at Monday's hearing.
Assistant State Attorney Spencer Hathaway said during the hearing that the state would seek that Tetley be civilly committed to a secure facility.
But Hathaway also asked the judge for additional time for prosecutors to determine whether they would seek another expert opinion on whether Tetley can be restored to competency.
A representative from SMA Health Care also spoke during the hearing saying they would need a few months to find a suitable facility for Tetley. He said that could be complicated by a need to determine if Tetley suffers from dementia.
Blackburn asked the SMA representative to explore alternatives in housing Tetley for her own safety and that of others.
A plea to see her daughter
Tetley on Monday asked that she be allowed to see her daughter.
"I want so much to see my daughter. I don't see my daughter for six years," Tetley told the judge.
Tetley also said she had a heart problem and high blood pressure. She also said her vision was bad, cloudy.
"Please, please, please," Tetley said. "I don't see my daughter for over six years. I miss her so much."
The judge said that she recalled denying a previous oral motion from Tetley's attorney, Assistant Public Defender Brian Smith, for a furlough for Tetley. The judge asked Smith if he planned to file a written motion for furlough and he said he would.
Blackburn said she could rule on the motion April 11.
A shocking crime
Albertsman's death shocked Daytona Beach.
Police found part of the 55-year-old's Albertsman’s body on July 26, 2017, inside his home at 1222 North St. A bullet to the head had killed him but he had also been shot in the chest. His arms and legs were found 20 miles away in a fernery in DeLeon Springs.
When Tetley had a bond hearing in 2020, friends and family of Louis, the victim of the case in which Tetley is a person of interest, wrote the judge urging that her motion to reduce bond be denied. The judge denied the motion June 12, 2020.