Guthrie still waiting for psychiatric evaluation

Lawrence Guthrie was granted another continuance Monday in a case in which he is accused of physically assaulting his estranged wife and exchanging gunfire with police before shooting himself in the head.

Last month, the case was continued to Monday to give Guthrie time to obtain a private psychiatric evaluation.

On Monday, Guthrie's attorney, Bryan Greaser, said the evaluation has been scheduled for Aug. 1 with a doctor from St. Louis.

Cape Girardeau County Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis on Monday agreed to continue the case to Aug. 26 to allow time for the evaluation to be completed.

Guthrie has been charged with first-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action and three counts of first-degree assault or attempted assault on a law enforcement officer in connection with a June 2012 confrontation with police.

Guthrie is accused of physically assaulting his estranged wife, then firing at police from a wooded area near his home before shooting himself in the head in an apparent suicide attempt.

According to online court records, in September, Greaser filed a notice of intent to rely on a defense of not guilty due to mental disease or defect.

Greaser has said Guthrie does not remember the events of June 13, 2012, and "didn't appreciate the consequences" of his actions.

Guthrie's wife testified in August that the former Marine and Gulf War veteran was undergoing treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of the shooting.

In December, Lewis ordered the director of the state Department of Mental Health to perform a forensic evaluation of Guthrie, which was completed in April, online court records show.

The results of that evaluation have not been released.

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