Accused Killer of Concho County Deputies Headed Back to Court Over Competency

An Eden man accused of killing two Concho County deputies is once again headed toward a jury trial to determine competency. Court records say Jeffrey Nicholas, 33, has been declared restored to competency after treatment at Vernon State Hospital. A jury trial on his competency is scheduled for June 19 at the Tom Green County Courthouse. Nicholas faces two counts of capital murder in the 2021 shooting deaths of deputies Samuel Leonard and Stephen Jones. The incident began during a call about loose dogs and ended with gunfire and a serious injury to a city employee. Nicholas was recently returned to the Tom Green County Jail while the case continues.