SKOWHEGAN — A system of tunnels that run underground, nanobots that control minds and radiation that kills people.

Those are among the seemingly fantastical ideas that a man accused of killing one man and injuring another in Norridgewock in February said needed to be investigated while testifying at a hearing Friday to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.

Kendall Purnell, 39, of Norridgewock, appeared via videoconference for the hearing at the Somerset County Superior Court in Skowhegan.

It is now up to Chief Justice Robert E. Mullen to determine whether Purnell is competent and the case can proceed to trial, or whether Purnell needs to be further committed for evaluations and treatment. 

Mullen called the case “complicated” at the close of the hearing and said he wouldtake it under advisement. There is no set timeline for his decision. Attorneys went into Mullen’s chambers after the hearing to discuss more technical details of how the case will proceed.

State prosecutors and Purnell’s attorneys agreed in May that Purnell was incompetent to stand trial at the time. Purnell has spent the last months at the Riverview Psychiatric Center, the state mental hospital in Augusta.

Central to the question of competence in Purnell’s case in light of Friday’s testimony are whether his demeanor in court was genuine and whether his apparent delusions will inhibit him from working with his attorneys on his defense.

Purnell’s court-appointed attorneys, Jeremy Pratt and Caitlyn Smith, led their presentation with Purnell’s lengthy testimony, during which he often became excited while discussing a number of topics he said were linked to his case. Purnell’s attorneys, Assistant Attorney General Kate Bozeman and Mullen had to redirect and interrupt him multiple times during their questioning.

Among many topics, Purnell spoke of being kidnapped, an invasive brain procedure done on him when he was booked at the Somerset County Jail and various conspiracies involving law enforcement and jail officials. He compared what goes on in his mind to being like a ham radio receiver. He said his mother was in danger, so his lawyers should contact the FBI and CIA. He also named three witnesses who he said could help his case, although it was unclear how Purnell knew them and how they might be connected to the case.

Purnell, however, was able to answer questions about the basics of the charges he faces and said while he trusts nobody, he has been told his attorneys are among the best, so he was willing to work with them.

Luke Douglass, a forensic psychologist contracted by the Maine State Forensic Service, testified that criminal defendants may have mental illnesses and hold bizarre beliefs, but they can still be deemed competent. One of the key questions is whether the person has the capacity to understand the legal process and work with their attorneys, he said.

In his first evaluation of Purnell in March, Douglass noted Purnell believed he was God, had disorganized thoughts and reportedly displayed bizarre physical behavior.

In his third and most recent evaluation of Purnell in September, Douglass noted significant improvement. He described Purnell as clear-headed and said he was not experiencing psychosis and seemed to understand the legal process.

But Purnell’s demeanor during his testimony Friday was different “in almost every way” from the September evaluation, Douglass said, noting Purnell was much more intense and some of the delusions Purnell spoke about had previously subsided.

Before he took the stand and during a break, Douglass stepped into a conference room to call Riverview staff, who he said told him Purnell’s behavior only regressed in recent weeks once the competency hearing was scheduled.

Smith, one of the two defense attorneys, objected to letting Douglass testify about the information he just received from Riverview. Mullen ultimately let Douglass testify but said he would have to sort out what was admissible evidence when he issues a decision.

Douglass said it is possible Purnell was acting as he did for “secondary gain,” explaining that some defendants exaggerate their mental illness with the hope it leads to better outcome.

It is also possible that discussing the case is a stressor that exacerbates Purnell’s apparent delusions, he said.

Douglass characterized Purnell as having “substance-induced psychotic disorder,” which caused delusions that have since subsided for the most part. Douglass said more “characterological” issues may be at play rather than a psychotic disorder.

During the hearing, Mullen also heard from Kendall Purnell’s father, Kevin Purnell, who testified that his son’s belief in the underground tunnels began a few years ago but progressed more rapidly since October 2024. 

A court clerk, Michelle Aiken, also testified about Purnell’s phone calls to the clerks’ office in Skowhegan. In the one phone call she remembered taking herself, Aiken said Purnell mentioned jail officials performed a brain procedure on him.

A grand jury indicted Purnell in April. He is charged with one count of intentional or knowing or depraved indifference murder and one count of elevated aggravated assault.

Both offenses are alleged to have occurred on Feb. 7 in Norridgewock. 

The indictment alleges that Purnell caused the death of Harold Burgess, 71. It also alleges he caused serious injury to Shawn Haggan, then 45, using a 2-by-4. 

Purnell said in court Friday that Burgess was his uncle and that he believed Haggan was an acquaintance who was paid to stab him.

Purnell has not yet been arraigned on the charges, so he has yet to enter a plea.

The Maine State Police arrested Purnell on Feb. 8 on the murder charge, the agency said previously. Investigators were seen working that day near 40 Walnut Drive in Norridgewock.

Late at night Feb. 7, Somerset County sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call, state police said. Deputies found one man dead and another man with serious head injuries.

Police in the area were advised to be on the lookout for Purnell, who was believed to be driving the homeowner’s vehicle, state police said.

At about 1 a.m. Feb. 8, Waterville police officers stopped the vehicle at the Irving gas station and convenience store on Kennedy Memorial Drive in Waterville and identified Purnell, according to state police.

Detectives questioned Purnell and then arrested him, state police said.

A police affidavit detailing probable cause for Purnell’s February arrest remained sealed Friday.