ROCHESTER HILLS ? Sylvia Marie Majewska, the Addison Township woman accused of slaying both her son and her infant granddaughter in November 2014, was found competent to stand trial.
That was the ruling of 52-3 District Court Judge Lisa Asadoorian following a brief competency hearing Monday morning.
The decision was based on a Jan. 27 report submitted by an examiner from the state’s Center for Forensic Psychiatry, a 210-bed psychiatric facility in Saline.
Majewska has been receiving treatment at the center for about a year now. In December 2014, Asadoorian ordered her placed there for evaluation on the issues of competency and criminal responsibility.
Until now, she had been deemed unfit to stand trial.
Asadoorian read aloud an excerpt from the seven-page report.
‘It is this examiner’s opinion that Ms. Sylvia Majewska does have the capacity to understand the nature and object of the proceedings against her and is able to assist in her defense in a rational manner. Therefore, it is this examiner’s opinion the defendant is competent to stand trial.?
However, Majewska’s competency is contingent on her remaining medicated.
‘In order to maintain Ms. Majewska’s current level of functioning, it is imperative that she be maintained on her current medication regimen throughout the court proceedings,? the report stated.
Majewska is charged with the first-degree murders of her son Daryne Gailey, 29, of Oxford, and her 7-month-old granddaughter Charley Lillian Hendrick.
Both were found dead on Nov. 23, 2014 inside Gailey’s home on Kintyre in Oxford Township. Blunt force trauma to the head resulted in Hendrick’s demise, while Gailey’s throat was slashed, according to the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Majewska was the only one alive when Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies entered Gailey’s home. She was found sitting on the couch in the living room with a boxcutter beside her. Her left arm and wrist sustained what are believed to be self-inflicted cuts and she was bleeding into a bucket. She was conscious and able to talk, but authorities said she wasn’t speaking coherently.
Gailey was a 2003 Oxford High School graduate and a full-time clerk at the Kroger grocery store in Lake Orion, where he was well-known and loved by many folks.
A preliminary examination (or probable cause hearing) was supposed to occur immediately following the competency hearing, but Majewska waived her right to have one.
Asadoorian asked Majewska several questions to ensure she comprehended what was happening and understood her legal rights.
Majewska’s answers indicated she was aware of and in agreement with what was taking place in court.
‘The record should reflect that Ms. Majewska has answered all of my questions,? Asadoorian said. ‘She answered without hesitation, appearing to this court that she understood what I was asking of her.?
Asadoorian then bound Majewska over, as charged, to the Oakland County Circuit Court.
‘I ordered no bond originally, and that order is continued,? the judge said.
Mitchell informed the court it is the opinion of the doctor treating Majewska that she should remain at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry.
According to Mitchell, the doctor believes being housed in ‘the jail environment,? coupled with being away from the treatment she has been receiving at the center, ‘might cause regression.?
‘He was very concerned about it,? the attorney told the judge.
Asadoorian made no rulings regarding where Majewska will be lodged.
‘I’m going to leave that issue for the circuit court judge,? she said.
Majewska has been lodged in the county jail since Friday.
But the judge did make one thing very clear.
‘I will say this ? while Ms. Majewska is in the Oakland County Jail, I want her receiving all of the medication that she has been prescribed to take by the forensic doctors be they in the jail clinic or at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry,? Asadoorian said. ‘I do not want her to miss a single dosage. So, she will continue her prescription regimen. That’s what was recommended . . . and that’s what this court is ordering.?
Following the court proceeding, Mitchell had nothing but praise for the Center for Forensic Psychiatry and the work the staff there has done with Majewska.
‘I was stunned. (She’s) a completely different person,? he said. ‘What they’ve done to get her to this point is remarkable, absolutely remarkable.?
When Majewka appeared in district court in December 2014, she seemed to be disoriented and was fixated on the fact she didn’t have her eyeglasses, something she mentioned twice to the judge.
At the time, Mitchell had serious concerns about whether or not Majewska would be able to assist him in her defense. He’s the one who requested that she be evaluated at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry.
‘The transformation from what she was (like) on the day that we first saw her in that jail cell (to) where she is now is just remarkable,? Mitchell said. ‘I’ve had a lot of clients go through the forensic center and I’ve never seen a transformation like this.?
However, he noted Majewska’s current state is ‘fragile.?
‘I’m afraid that if she doesn’t stay (at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry) and she doesn’t get the medication and the therapy that she has been getting, (her mental state) will regress,? he explained.
Mitchell believes Majewska started to exhibit ‘a little bit? of this regression in court that morning.
‘From when I saw her a week or so ago, or two weeks, till today, I can see (the difference),? he said. ‘I think we can all see it . . . She had a little confusion there (today).?
‘There’s no added benefit (from) her being in the jail,? he continued.
‘I don’t want to cast any aspersions on the Oakland County Jail,? Mitchell said, but he believes the hospital can provide a better level of care for Majewska.
?(The care at the jail) is, in my humble opinion, probably not at the same standard that it might be at the forensic center,? he said.
Mitchell believes Majewska ‘feels safe? at the center and that adds to her being stable for trial.
‘It’s a place that she’s received care and people have been trying to help her,? he said.
When asked if Majewska comprehends that her son and granddaughter are dead, Mitchell replied, ‘She does understand that.?
‘You could see her tear up (in court),? he said. ‘She can’t believe that this has happened. She certainly can’t believe that she did this . . . She’s still trying to wrap her head around this event and these allegations and what people have said she did because she has no memory of any of it.?
During a December 2014 press conference, Sheriff Mike Bouchard said when investigators searched Majewska’s Addison home following the killings, they recovered multiple computer documents and handwritten notes that show ‘a premeditation and a plan that things were all going to come to an end shortly.?
‘It was pretty clear from the documents, the notes and other things that ultimately will come out, that there was a plan and the plan had a conclusion that wasn’t good,? Bouchard said at the time. ‘I think it’s pretty clear the ominous nature of where this was headed.?
‘For whatever reason, she came to the conclusion that (her) son and (his) child would be better off if they weren’t alive,? the sheriff said.