Elizabeth Johnson, the mother of missing baby Gabriel Johnson, was in court this morning, which is somewhat surprising -- she's skipped a total of four court appearances since she was first arrested in January of 2011, all while being in the custody of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
At the hearing, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Paul McMurdie scheduled a hearing for September 16, to determine whether Johnson is fit to stand trial for charges stemming from the disappearance of Gabriel nearly two years ago.
Earlier this month, McMurdie said five doctors have
evaluated Johnson, but they are not in agreement as to whether she is
"restorable to competency.
Johnson was initially ruled incompetent to stand trial in June of 2010.
She was then ruled competent in September of 2010, but in May was
ordered to undergo another psychological evaluation, the findings of
which will be used to determine whether she's competent to stand trial.
Johnson has been in jail since January after she failed to show up to a December custody hearing.
Johnson, police say, disappeared with Gabriel and went to San Antonio, Texas, where the baby was last seen alive.
While on the run, Johnson sent text-messages to the baby's father, Logan McQueary, saying she had killed the baby and put his body in a dumpster.
She later recanted her claims and said she gave the baby to a random couple she met at a park in San Antonio.
In all, Johnson, 25, is charged with kidnapping, child abuse, conspiracy to commit custodial interference and custodial interference.
