Man found in Lenexa with wife's dismembered body is competent for trial
A man facing charges after he and his children were found staying in a Lenexa storage unit with his wife's body parts has been ruled competent to stand trial.
A Johnson County judge on Monday found that based on a mental examination, Justin Todd Rey is competent to stand trial on charges of child endangerment and contributing to a child's misconduct.
Rey, 36, was charged last September after he was found with his daughters, a toddler and infant, at the Lenexa storage facility where police discovered Jessica Monteiro Rey's body parts in several containers.
He was later charged in Jackson County with abandonment of a corpse.
According to court documents in that case, Rey told police that his wife died in childbirth at a Kansas City motel.
He said he then dismembered her in a bathtub.
He and his children spent several nights in the Lenexa storage unit with the body parts before police made the discovery.
In order to be competent for trial, a criminal defendant must understand the nature of court proceedings and be able to assist in his own defense.
Rey remains in custody, and his next appearance in Johnson County court is scheduled for July 10.
This story was originally published July 3, 2018 at 9:07 AM.