Monkton Man Accused of Murder in Wife's Death Found Competent to Stand Trial

Anthony Lechner has been found competent to stand trial in Baltimore County.

The Monkton man accused of stabbing and killing his preschool-teacher wife is competent to stand trial, a Baltimore County judge ruled Wednesday.

Anthony Lechner's attorney, Brian Thompson, said in court that Lechner still intends to plea "not criminally responsible due to mental disorder"* despite the finding of the Maryland Department of Health that Lechner is currently competent to stand trial.

Lechner, 56, is charged with first-degree murder following the homicide of his wife, 56-year-old Kimberly "Kimmie" Lechner, a teacher at the Two-by-Two preschool in Monkton.

Kimberly Lechner died Sept. 29, 2025, at her home on the 900 block of Maplehurst Lane after being stabbed multiple times, according to police.

Ms. Lechner's brother, who also lived at the home, called 911 after hearing a dispute and finding Anthony Leachner in the process of stabbing his wife, according to charging documents. The brother hit Lechner with an object until Lechner was disarmed and stopped his assault, according to police.

Police arriving at the home found a bloody Anthony Lechner with cuts on his left wrist and right thigh, according to court documents.

During a police interview, Anthony Lechner said he had no recollection of the incident and subsequently asked for an attorney, according to police.

Lechner appeared in court Wednesday before Judge Thomas Tompsett, handcuffed and wearing orange jail scrubs. Lechner looked disheveled and had a full, graying beard.

Defense attorney Thompson asked the judge to help speed up the process of transferring Lechner to Clifton T. Perkins Hospital, Maryland's only maximum-security forensic psychiatric hospital. Lechner is currently being held without bond at the Baltimore County Detention Center. Thompson said Lechner is getting no treatment in the local jail and is being isolated.

"I just don't know how this situation is supposed to make anybody with mental health problems better," Thompson said. "In fact, I believe it exacerbates them."

Thompson said Lechner has lost weight and his mental health has noticeably deteriorated.

"This man needs to be in a hospital," Thompson said.

Lechner's next court appearance is in April.

*In Maryland, a defendant may plead Not Criminally Responsible (NCR) if, because of a mental disorder at the time of the offense, they could not understand that their conduct was wrong or could not control their actions. If successful, they are not convicted of the crime but are typically committed to a state psychiatric hospital instead of prison. They can remain confined as long as they are considered a danger due to their mental illness, sometimes longer than a standard prison sentence.