Woman charged with Manchester murder to receive a competency evaluation
Apr. 25—A woman charged with stabbing a Manchester man to death last month will undergo a competency evaluation.
Carrie Drake, 54, is charged with one count of second-degree murder for recklessly causing the death of Vernon Hayford, 75, by stabbing him. She is also charged with being a felon in possession of a deadly weapon and resisting arrest.
Judge David Anderson agreed to the evaluation at the request of Drake's public defenders. A hearing has been scheduled for July 25.
Such a competency evaluation could determine if Drake is able to stand trial. Drake received a 5- to 10-year suspended prison sentence on April 10, 2023, after pleading guilty in June 2022 to a charge of stabbing Hayford in the same building in 2020.
Hayford at the time told police Drake had a history of mental health issues.
Drake had not been heard from for months leading up to the fatal stabbing after being evicted from a program in Manchester. At the time of the incident, there was a warrant out for her arrest after she failed to meet conditions of probation, according to court documents. She was last believed to be living in Concord.
An autopsy showed Hayford died from a single stab wound to the chest.
