An Oak Lawn woman accused of killing her infant granddaughter will undergo a psychological evaluation to see if she is fit to stand trial, according to court records.
Cook County Judge Colleen Hyland signed the behavioral clinic examination order in March to evaluate Alfreda Giedrojc. The results of the exam could be heard in court later this month.
The examination by county staff will determine whether the 65-year-old Polish immigrant can be tried for the brutal stabbing and beating death more than three years ago of 5-month-old Vivian Summers in Giedrojc’s house in the 6600 block of 91st Street, according to court records.
Giedrojc’s mental health status has been at the heart of the legal motioning between state’s attorneys and her defense.
In October, Giedrojc was found to be legally sane, according to court records.
This latest evaluation, to be made by either a county psychologist or a therapist, will now determine her fitness to stand trial both with and without medication, said Keith Ahmad, Cook County’s first assistant public defender. He could not give specifics about Giedrojc but spoke about the process defendants undergo.
“If the opinion is the person is fit, they have a hearing,” Ahmad said. The medical professional performing the evaluation usually testifies, and the judge would make a ruling based on the information provided in the hearing and in the evaluation, he said.
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Giedrojc does not speak English and has used a county-provided interpreter at her hearings and evaluations.
In July 2014, the judge agreed with the findings of a doctor from Forensic Clinical Services who found Giedrojc mentally unfit.
Her defense attorney asked in October 2015 for another evaluation, according to court records. The public defender in charge of her case at the time enlisted Robert Hanlon, a Northwestern University professor who has interviewed defendants in murder cases involving their family members. Hanlon was the lead author of a Northwestern study that found people who kill family members have different psychological profiles than those who murder strangers.
In August 2016, Hanlon was ordered to turn over to Forensic Clinical Services all materials related to his evaluation of Giedrojc, according to court records. The records do not indicate why that order was given, but it came after Giedrojc’s previous public defender retired.
A month later, Giedrojc was found sane and able to understand her Miranda rights, according to court records.
In October 2013, Joe Summers of Bolingbrook left his daughter Vivian at Giedrojc’s home when he went across the street to his brother-in-law’s house, authorities said. When Giedrojc’s husband, Boleslaw, left to check on Summers, Giedrojc allegedly repeatedly hit the sleeping infant with a sledgehammer before using a kitchen knife to slit the infant’s throat when the child wouldn’t stop crying.
Giedrojc has been held without bail since her arrest. She returns to court April 19.
Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.