Published Monday, March 08, 2010 6:57 AM

Man accused in deaths of children found competent

Associated Press

BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- A man accused of beheading three children has been found competent to stand trial.

A jury on Friday found 29-year-old John Allen Rubio competent to stand trial in the 2003 deaths in Brownsville.

The Brownsville Herald reports that defense attorney Ed Stapleton argued that Rubio has a delusional order. State prosecutors said Rubio has been faking the disorder and did not suffer from any mental illness.

Rubio is being retried after an appeals court in 2007 reversed his conviction. The court cited the prosecution's use of videotaped testimony from the children's mother, Angela Camacho, that did not allow for cross-examination.

Camacho, Rubio's common-law wife, was convicted in the killings and sentenced to life in prison.

Rubio was the biological father of one of the children.

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