JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville family is grappling with the murder of their father a year after he was stabbed to death while walking his dog at the Willowbranch Park in Avondale.
Forty-two-year-old Evan Freda, the man charged with his death, is now in a state hospital instead of jail after being found incompetent to stand trial last December.
Ashley Kraan died shortly after he was attacked by Freda on Nov. 3 around 2:30 p.m., according to police.
Kraan left behind seven daughters, including Alicia Jeffers, who says her family is hoping Freda will be put behind bars. Jeffers says her dad was a helpful man who was well known in the community.
“He was kind, loving, always there for any of us,” she said.
“We want him held accountable for his actions so we can move on," Jeffers said.
When Freda was arrested last year, he was listed as paranoid schizophrenic on the police report. He had a violent criminal history leading up to the reported murder and had previously been treated for mental health issues but was released.
Attorney Karen Riewe works with mental health cases in the public defender’s office in Jacksonville.
She says they do everything they can to bring mentally ill suspects back to a mentally healthy state.
“A state hospital is not freedom, it’s not a 'get-out-of-jail-free card,'” said Riewe. “It’s still a confined environment, just more therapeutic.”
Jeffers believes Freda never should’ve been in the public in the first place; she said the mental health system failed him.
“If he doesn’t take his medication outside of incarceration then he more than likely could do it again,” said Jeffers.
Riewe said a mentally ill person is more likely to be victimized than to be the criminal, so they have to take everything on a case by case basis.
At last check, the state attorney’s office says Freda is still considered incompetent, but they will do an official re-test in two weeks.