LARNED — A 37-year-old inmate of Larned State Hospital appearing in Pawnee County District Court on aggravated escape charges has been found not competent to stand trial.
Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett reported Tuesday that Shane Paul Wagoner, 37, appeared before Pawnee County District Judge Bruce Gatterman to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.
Wagoner, originally from Lyon County, is charged with a single count of aggravated escape from custody, a severity level 8 non-person felony, McNett said. Wagoner has been listed as a Kansas Sex Offender since 2014 and a Sexually Violent Predator since 2023, according to the KBI Offender Registry.
After hearing the testimony of the court-assigned forensic evaluator and arguments of counsel, Judge Gatterman found Wagoner not competent to stand trial. Based on this finding, the court then entered an order directing Wagoner to be committed to the State Security Hospital for up to 90 days for an evaluation to determine if there is a substantial probability of the defendant attaining competency to stand trial in the foreseeable future.
McNett noted that under Kansas law, a person is “incompetent to stand trial” when such person is charged with a crime and, because of mental illness or defect is unable: (1) To understand the nature and purpose of the proceedings against such person; or (2) to make or assist in making such person’s defense.
The charge stems from an incident on the night of Feb. 8 at the Jung North building on the LSH campus, where at the time the defendant was civilly committed to the Sexual Predator Treatment Program (SPTP).
Review of security footage determined Wagoner exited the building through the security checkpoint without being properly identified but then voluntarily returned to the building less than two minutes later asking for assistance to call a taxi.
Upon reentering the building, LSH staff identified him as a patient and redirected him to his housing unit without incident. The matter was investigated by the LSH special investigator with assistance from LSH Safety and Security staff. No outside law enforcement assistance was required.
Pending the court-ordered evaluation, the defendant will remain subject to his civil commitment to the SPTP located on the LSH campus. Wagoner has previous convictions for aggravated sexual battery, burglary, aggravated burglary and aggravated escape from custody, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
