Man who confessed to killing father will undergo psych evaluation, asks to go by different name in court

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A Chesterfield man will undergo a mental evaluation to see if he is fit for trial.

On March 26, 46-year-old Frank Wyatt confessed to killing his father. Now on Tuesday, April 1, he appeared in court — in person — for the first time.

At the very beginning of the hearing, Wyatt requested the court refer to him as "McLeod" for the remainder of this case. According to legal documents, that's not his middle name, nor does it appear to have any sort of family origin.

As the investigation into the death of 69-year-old Richard Wyatt continues, since the case began, 8News has frequented the Chesterfield County government area to speak with officials and to secure access to various warrants, files and documents painting a clearer picture about exactly what happened behind the front doors at Goldenbrook Drive that lead to the death of Richard Wyatt.

"[Frank Wyatt] clearly understands that he did something wrong," said Chesterfield County Police Department's Criminal Investigations Captain Randy Horowitz.

8News spoke with the captain on Thursday, March 27 after Wyatt turned himself in to police -- admitting to killing his own father. He said he strangled Richard Wyatt at the home they were both living in along Goldenbrook Drive. He initially seemed to have the timeline confused as he told officials the incident happened a month prior, but -- according to police -- evidence suggested the death likely happened a little less than a week prior.

"There's no question that that he has some... issues with reality," Horowitz said when asked about Frank Wyatt's mental health state at the time of his arrest.

During Tuesday's hearing, a judge decided to leave that question up to the experts. The court ordered Wyatt undergo, what is essentially a psych evaluation, before his second-degree murder case moves forward.

Last week, investigators suggested the defendant has struggled with his mental health in the past. Those who knew the family also spoke about this topic with 8News.

"There are so many people out there that need help and don't have it, you know, or don't want to get it and then tragic things like this end up happening," said Alan Harvey, the next-door neighbor.

Wyatt currently remains in state custody with the understanding that his competency evaluation will be conducted soon. Therefore, at this point, it would be premature to diagnose him with any mental health condition.

However, according to documents from Wyatt's divorce a few years back, his wife alleged he has a strong belief in ghosts and the supernatural. Court records show he has a history of violence and has been on "indefinite probation."

After accessing records suggesting Wyatt has exhibited traits indicative of schizophrenic disorder in the past, 8News asked prosecutors about Wyatt's preference to go by the name "McLeod" in court instead of his legal name. They did not provide, nor seemed to have, an answer at this time.

Investigators are still trying to piece together what lead up to the fatal father-son conflict. A search warrant 8News obtained on Tuesday alluded to a conflict unfolding between Wyatt and his father immediately prior to the incident, but this is all still under investigation.

"We have a confession, so we're not looking for the public to come forward telling us who did something, but obviously, if they're familiar with the family and can add to the background, we're missing most of that background information from a reliable source," Horowitz said, regarding the status of the investigation.

Wyatt won't be back in court until Thursday, June 5.