Iowa Supreme Court rules suspect in Prestage pork plant murder not competent to stand trial

EAGLE GROVE — The Iowa Supreme Court says a man accused of killing a coworker at a Wright County pork packing plant is not competent to stand trial.

Lukouxs Brown was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 50-year-old Wayne Smith of Fort Dodge at the Prestage plant near Eagle Grove in 2021.

Brown underwent several months of mental health treatment before a judge declared that he was not competent to stand trial. The Iowa Court of Appeals had ruled the trial could take place after the state brought in an expert who stated that Brown’s competency had been restored.

The Iowa Supreme Court in a ruling issued on Friday said state law limits when an independent expert can step in with a different opinion, and that the evaluation should not have been used in this case.

The court said the evidence shows that there’s no substantial probability that Brown’s competency will be restored within a reasonable amount of time.