West Wendover teen cleared for trial in classmate’s murder
ELKO — A teen has been declared competent to stand trial in the slaying of a West Wendover High School classmate.
The Elko Daily Free Press reports District Judge Andrew Puccinelli ruled Friday that Kody Patten, 18, was fit to stand trial in the death of Micaela Costanzo, 16, near the Utah border.
The ruling came after Patten was evaluated for two weeks at the state-operated Lake’s Crossing Center in Reno for mentally disordered offenders.
Patten and 18-year-old girlfriend Toni Fratto are accused of killing Costanzo after school March 3. Court documents say Costanzo was buried in the desert about five miles west of Wendover after her throat was cut and she was hit with a shovel. Patten and Fratto both face felony counts of open murder.