Sapry murder prosecution remains mired in questions about competency

LACONIA — The trial over one of the most violent crimes in recent Laconia history won’t be concluded any time soon, as a Belknap Superior Court judge considers the defendant’s ability to participate in his own defense.

Hassan Sapry, who stands accused of murdering Wilfred Guzman Sr., 57, has been held in the Belknap County Jail since April 26, 2019. Sapry, now 26, was arrested about a week after Guzman was found dead in his Blueberry Lane apartment.

Sapry’s trial began in 2022, but was halted in August of that year by Belknap Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Leonard, who declared a mistrial due to what she called “unforeseen issues.” News reports from 2022 indicate Leonard ordered a competency evaluation for Sapry, and she granted a request, which came from Sapry’s attorneys, that the evaluation results remain sealed to the public.

Proceedings in the case since have largely been kept hidden from public view, including an evidentiary hearing held on Monday morning. However, comments from the each side’s legal team indicate the question of Sapry’s competency continues to stand in the way of his prosecution.

“The overarching concern is his mental health, and we’re all trying to figure out where we’re going to go with this,” said Mark Sisti, defense attorney working on Sapry’s case.

Michael Garrity, a spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office, said in an email on Monday, “Today’s was a sealed hearing regarding the defendant’s competency to stand trial.” Asked for comment about next steps, Garrity responded, “Competency can take a while to determine. There’s no finite time period at this time. The court will likely schedule another hearing in a few months.”

The crime at the heart of the case is the bloody killing of Guzman, who was found dead in his home on April 19, 2019. Guzman’s body bore 140 wounds, including stab wounds from a sword and other items.

Sapry is currently being held on second degree murder charges.

Police were alerted to Guzman’s home after his son, who had come up to visit for Easter in 2019, said Guzman didn’t answer his door. When police entered the home, they found a violent murder scene: a ransacked apartment, broken furniture and shattered glass, contents of drawers flung onto the floor, and a broken samurai-style sword, thought to be one of the implements of Guzman’s murder.

The same day that police encountered the scene of the killing, two of Guzman’s credit cards were allegedly used in an attempt to purchase video games on a Sony Playstation account linked to Sapry.

When searching Sapry’s home, police allege they found a bag containing wallets, credit cards, a driver’s license and passport, all belonging to Guzman, as well as bloodied clothing and a broken knife similar to those they found in Guzman’s home.

In court documentation, police described Sapry as having had a close relationship with Guzman’s daughter.