OLIVIA, Minn. -- The Minnesota Court of Appeals has denied the appeal of a man seeking to withdraw his guilty plea in the kidnapping and sexual assault of a then-14-year-old Fairfax, Minn., newspaper carrier in May 2010.
Matthew Fahey's second attorney, Richard Swanson of Chaska, Minn., had filed the appeal, charging that the District Court erred by denying his motion for a competency examination after his guilty plea but prior to his sentencing.
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In a ruling issued Monday, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals sided with District Court Judge Randall Slieter's finding that Fahey was competent to stand trial.
Fahey, 27, is currently in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater serving a life sentence with no opportunity for parole until late 2043.
Among the reasons cited for upholding the district court decision was that Fahey knew right from wrong when he performed his crimes, as evidenced by his actions. He confused the victim as to her location and hid her from view as he transported her. He dismantled her cell phone and tossed it in a ditch. After the assault and when leaving her at a remote location, he apologized.
