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NILES — The case against a Missouri man charged with the 2023 death of a Niles man is back on after the man was found competent to stand trial late last week.

      Jamie Phillip Perry, 30, of St. Louis, Missouri, is facing open murder and three other felony charges for the Sept. 30, 2023 death of Niles resident Luke James Botica at Botica’s home on the north side of Niles.

      Perry had been bound over for trial after a preliminary hearing that spanned four days in October, November and December of 2023. A forensic examination was ordered in the case in January, 2024 to determine if he was competent to stand trial on the charges.

      Berrien County Assistant Prosecutor Myrene Koch reported Monday that Perry has been found competent to stand trial and the case is back on track to be heard later this spring and summer. Perry had been declared incompetent last August and then received treatment in order to become competent.

      Perry’s next court date will be a case conference on April 2 at 8:30 a.m. in Berrien County Trial Court at the Niles courthouse. No other court dates after that have been set yet.  Perry remains lodged in the Berrien County Jail.

      The four charges Perry is facing are open murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The shooting took place at Botica’s home in the 1200 block of North 12th Street in Niles on Sept. 30, 2023.

      A preliminary hearing held in 2023 included testimony from two witnesses. One witness was at the home at the time of the shooting and said that the dispute between Perry and Botica was over drugs and money. The witness said that Botica told him that Perry owed him money and was going to help Botica start a marijuana grow operation.