'They are waiting for answers' Chilean consul attends pretrial hearing of Dannie Baker

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS - The consul general for Chile traveled from Miami on Thursday to attend accused murderer Dannie Baker's pretrial hearing. But Baker wasn't there.

Instead, his public defender, Lenny Platterborze, spoke on his behalf and asked Walton County Circuit Judge Kevin Wells for a continuance.

"I spoke to Mr. Baker yesterday and he's willing to waive his speedy trial rights," Platterborze told Wells.

Platterborze said the case still was in the discovery phase. More time was needed to gather background on Baker before a mental health specialist could issue an opinion on the man accused of killing two Chilean students and seriously injuring three others.

Platterborze also said there were "several pages of names of witnesses" who he planned to depose.

Witnesses say Baker, 60, fired a rifle into a unit at the Summer Lake town home complex in Miramar Beach on Feb. 26. He is charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder, three counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, aggravated battery and shooting into an occupied dwelling.

A new pretrial hearing was set for Aug. 20 and jury selection is expected to begin Sept. 14. However that schedule could be affected by Baker's mental health evaluations.

Assistant State Attorney Bobby Elmore explained the process of the U.S. court system to Chilean Consul General Juan Luis Nilo outside the courtroom.

If Dr. James Larson, the defense's psychologist, thinks Baker is incompetent to stand trial, the prosecution is allowed to have Baker evaluated with an expert of their own. If the psychologists have differing opinions, Wells could ask for a third opinion. If the judge finds Baker is unfit to stand trial, Baker could be sent to a state hospital, where the staff would treat him and try to help him regain competency for a trial.

"Just tell the families this is normal," Elmore told Nilo. "We feel like things are progressing normally."

Nilo then went to the state attorney's office across from the Walton County Courthouse to discuss the case further.

"We are here because our government is very concerned about what happened here," Nilo said. "They are very worried about the trial."

Nilo clarified that the victims' families aren't worried about justice in the United States, they're simply not familiar with the court system and it makes them anxious. Nilo said he is working as a liaison to help them understand what is happening because they can't attend.

"They're very touched and suffering and recovering," Nilo said. "It's very hard for them to accept what happened. They are waiting for answers and I'm trying to give them the answers they are looking for."

Assistant State Attorney Greg Anchors said the state will pay for essential witnesses and representatives of the victims' families to travel to the trial.

Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty for Baker, who has entered a plea of not guilty.

"We are very confident," Nilo said of the state attorney's office. "We're very pleased with the level of professionalism."