JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The man accused of murdering a woman and burying her in his yard faced a judge again Friday, where multiple motions were heard, including the rejection of a psychiatric evaluation.
Russell Tillis is accused of killing a woman, dismembering and burying her body in the yard of his Southside home. He's been in jail since May 2015, when police said he attacked two officers with knives as they served him with arrest warrants for threatening a neighbor and violating an injunction.
Recommended Videos
The judge went over multiple motions that included whether there were any actual "booby traps" on Tillis' property, whether the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office failed to document surveillance video of the arrest and whether a psychiatric evaluation of Tillis will be brought into court.
The judge decided that, for now, the psychiatric evaluation will not be allowed to be brought into court.
Leading up to the judge’s decision regarding the evaluation, Tillis objected on his own behalf, prompting the judge to respond, telling Tillis to “be quiet.”
Tillis’ defense has argued in previous court appearances that police withheld video evidence of the arrest from the defense. Originally, defense lawyers were told that no surveillance video existed until they received some from a neighbor last year.
Tillis’ lawyers argued Friday that JSO failing to document surveillance video may indicate a potential cover-up of police brutality.
There were no rulings made in Tillis’ court appearance.
His next hearing is a pre-trial set for June 5. The state attorney’s office is looking for a possible trial date of July 17.