The man accused of killing an El Paso County ranch hand in 2021 is still awaiting a competency evaluation ordered by the court in March to determine whether he is mentally fit to proceed in the case.

According to previous reporting by The Gazette, 26-yearold Kevin Armondo Chaparro-macias is accused of killing 46-year-old Donaciano Amaya on May 12, 2021, in Rush.

Amaya reportedly worked as a ranch hand for Nicole and Courtney Mallery, two Black ranchers in Yoder whose highly publicized dispute with a neighbor led to allegations of stalking and racism, previous reports state.

On Wednesday, Chaparro-macias made an appearance in court where his current status in the queue awaiting for a competency bed was discussed.

“At this time, it looks like we’re making a little bit of progress, he (Chaparro-macias) is No. 114 in the admission queue,” said Deputy Public Defender Amanda Bishop.

Chaparro-macias is facing charges of first-degree murder and tampering with a corpse, records indicate.

In March, Judge Frances Johnson ordered a competency evaluation to determine whether or not Chaparro-macias is mentally fit to proceed with the trial.

Nearly nine months later, Chaparro-macias is still awaiting this evaluation. Bishop said Wednesday she expects Chaparro-macias to reach the front of the line by March, requesting his next appearance be scheduled two months out, rather than the standard 30 days based on the anticipated timeline.

Judge Johnson accepted the proposed timeline, with Chaparro-macias next appearance in court scheduled for Feb. 8.

The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s spokesperson Kate Singh confirmed that Chaparro-macias had been left waiting for his competency evaluation since march.

“Delays in competency evaluations through the state hospital are directly impacting cases — at all levels — across Colorado and have been for several years,” she wrote to The Gazette in response to the Dec. 7 hearing.

Singh said such delays impact criminal defendants, as well as the victims, as the system adds months of delays to the court process. She said that the state is facing millions in fines each year due to its failure to adequately serve people with severe mental illness due to the backlog of cases, “to the tune of $12 million per year, a bill taxpayers are responsible for footing.”

“The state,” Singh adds, “needs to find a solution.”