Insanity Hearing for Murder Suspect to be Held Monday

A Newark man ordered to stand trial for the murder of his girlfriend is scheduled to appear in court Monday for a hearing.

Jason Otis Monroe, 34, is scheduled for a not guilty by reason of insanity hearing at the Hayward Hall of Justice at 9 a.m. Monday.

Monroe is charged with murder for the 2011 stabbing death of Evangeline Supena Contillo, his girlfriend and mother of his two children.

Contillo was found dead of apparent stab wounds inside of a one-story Newark home on Cherry Street around 11:30 a.m. on April 27, 2011. She was 25. Police said she sustained 37 injuries at the time of her death.

Monroe was ordered to stand trial in May after a two-day preliminary examination that included testimonies from three witnesses – an inspector with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, a Newark police officer and Monroe’s mother.

During those preliminary examinations, inspector Gus Galindo said Contillo’s death resulted from multiple stab wounds, blunt trauma and loss of blood. The suspect’s mother, Belinda Monroe, testified during those hearings that her son had paranoia that impacted his ability to trust people.

“…sometimes, I’d be the one he wouldn’t trust,” Belinda Monroe said.

Belinda Monroe also admitted that at the time of the killing, both she and Contillo had restraining orders against her son that stemmed from a prior incident in which she and Monroe were arguing. During that incident, Belinda Monroe said Contillo stepped in to ask him to leave his mom alone. Belinda Monroe added that’s when she saw her son grab Contillo, put her against a wall, and then ran out.

Court records show that the stay-away order Contillo had against the suspect stemmed from a report of domestic battery on Feb. 25.

Monroe is still in custody at Santa Rita Jail and is being held on no bail.

RELATED ARTICLES:

• Judge Orders Trial in April 2011 Fatal Stabbing
• Mother of Murder Suspect Says Son Has Paranoia
• Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in Girlfriend’s Stabbing Death
• Man Arrested After Woman Found Dead in Newark Residence

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