DOTHAN,
A Dale County woman accused of fatally shooting her husband as he slept has been ordered to undergo treatment at a state mental health facility, according to recently filed court documents.
On Tuesday, Judge Kimberly Crawford ruled that Annie Huffstutler will be remanded to the Alabama Department of Mental Health for competency restoration treatment. The order follows an evaluation by a state psychologist who determined Huffstutler is not mentally fit to stand trial at this time.
Huffstutler was arrested in early June at her home on West Main Street in Ariton. Dale County Sheriff Mason Bynum said she shot her husband, Shawn Watson, while he was asleep. She is charged with one count of murder and has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
Investigators say five children were inside the home during the shooting. While none witnessed the incident, they told authorities they heard the gunfire. Huffstutler and Watson were married but used different last names.
