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NILES — The trial for a man charged in connection with a 2023 homicide in the city has once again been delayed after he was found incompetent to stand trial.

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.

      Perry was found incompetent to stand trial last August and had received treatment to become competent. He was found competent to stand trial in March but has since been found incompetent again.

      Monday, a competency hearing was held before Berrien County Trial Court Judge Gordon Hosbein. Attorneys in the case reported that while Perry is not competent to stand trial now, the forensics center staff believe he can once again regain competency.

      Perry will now be resent to the forensics center to get treatment and therapy. Judge Hosbein set a new competency review date for Sept. 8 at 8:30 a.m. at the Niles courthouse.

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.

      The preliminary hearing featured Perry firing his first attorney, attempting to represent himself and then agreeing to be represented by another public defender.