Ex-A&M football player’s trial begins in jogger’s killing

DALLAS (AP) — A former Texas A&M football player has arrived in court to be tried for the killing of jogger who was hacked to death with a machete in 2015.

Thomas Johnson’s murder trial began Monday after years of litigation over whether the 25-year old is mentally competent to be tried for the killing of David Stevens.

Police say a cyclist witnessed Johnson chopping at Stevens’ prone body on White Rock Creek Trail in East Dallas, and that the former wide receiver later confessed to killing the 53-year-old mechanical engineer.

Johnson’s relatives said he was diagnosed with schizophrenia before the attack. In 2016, a judge ruled him not competent to stand trial and had him committed to a psychiatric hospital.

Court records show Johnson was deemed fit for trial in June and that he intends to use an insanity defense.