Bonifas called unfit for trial

James Louis Bonifas had his charge of deliberate homicide dismissed without prejudice Monday morning in the Lincoln County Courthouse when Robert Slomski, Deputy County Attorney made that motion.

Bonifas, who was charged with the Jan. 6 murder of his daughter, Suzanne Campbell, 41, was determined to be mentally unfit to take the stand. 

“At this time Mr. Bonifas is considered unfit to proceed with his current charge,” read an excerpt from psychiatrists Virginia Hill and Mark H. Mozer’s mental evaluation from the Montana State Hospital that was cited in Slomski’s motion to dismiss the charge.

“Mr. Bonifas is also not likely to regain adjudicatory competence in the foreseeable future.”

The full report remains confidential, but the proceedings make clear that Bonifas’ dementia makes him not (at least in intent) responsible for his actions. The dismissal of the criminal charges means that Bonifas will serve a civil involuntary commitment in the State Hospital in Warm Springs.

“Because it was dismissed without prejudice, in the one-in-a-billion chance he gets better, we could refile the case,” Slomski said. “He’ll be going back to Warm Springs.”

On the same morning, the status hearing of Gloria Lee Sprinkle was commuted to Aug. 6 at 9:30 a.m.

Because of a delay in getting Sprinkle to Warm Springs for a mental evaluation, the results had not yet been processed and sent back to Libby. 

The State Hospital reported that the psychiatric evaluation would be done Aug. 2, and the next Monday, Aug. 6, would be the best time to re-evaluate Sprinkle’s ability to testify.