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News / Northwest

Mental health at issue for ex-Vancouver mom

By Associated Press
Published: January 14, 2016, 7:02pm

A mother accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter in Cannon Beach told a state-hired psychologist that “she had little or no memory” of the alleged crimes.

Court documents show prosecutors objected to the defense motion by lawyers of Jessica Smith, 42, that she suffers from a mental disease and is unable to continue with her trial. Smith briefly lived in Vancouver.

The Oregonian reported Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis asked the court to review a videotape of the state psychologist’s meeting with Smith that occurred last month.

Marquis wrote that the psychologist saw nothing that would indicate Smith wasn’t capable of assisting in her defense.

Smith has pleaded not guilty to murder in the 2014 drowning death of her toddler and not guilty to attempted murder in the slashing of her teenager.

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