Kim Johnston is accused of leaving her injured mother outside for hours before the older woman suffered cardiac arrest and died.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A judge has ordered a competency evaluation for a Colorado Springs woman accused in the death of her elderly mother, temporarily shifting a criminal case that began with allegations of prolonged neglect on a hot summer morning toward a review of whether the defendant can participate in her own defense.

Kim Johnston, 59, had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing Oct. 1 in the case stemming from the July 15, 2025, death of her mother, Son Johnston. Instead, Johnston and her attorney told the court that she was not competent to assist in her defense because of schizophrenia. Fourth Judicial District Judge Catherine Mitchell Helton granted the defense request and ordered an evaluation. Johnston’s next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 19. The competency process does not decide whether she committed the acts alleged by investigators or whether she is criminally responsible for her mother’s death.

The court also reduced Johnston’s bond from $4,000 to $2,500. Her attorney, Alex Steiner, argued that she had longstanding ties to the community, had lived at the same home for decades and had worked at Goodwill for years. Four co-workers appeared in court in support of her, according to The Gazette. As of the day after the hearing, Johnston remained in the El Paso County jail. Court reporting has described the pending homicide charge as criminally negligent homicide, while earlier records and local reports also identified manslaughter and an offense involving the negligent death of an at-risk person. She is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.

The prosecution grew from events more than a year earlier at the home in the 2900 block of Hayman Terrace. Police were called shortly after noon July 15, 2025, for an elderly woman who was unresponsive outside. Officers and medical personnel found Son Johnston near the sidewalk, and she suffered cardiac arrest while being taken to a hospital. She later died. Initial police reporting described her as 91, while later reporting based on arrest papers referred to her as 92. Authorities have not publicly explained that age discrepancy.

Arrest records described a morning in which the mother and daughter had been arguing. Kim Johnston told investigators that her mother had been difficult overnight and wanted to go outside. Son Johnston had severely limited mobility because of a broken hip, according to court records. Her daughter told police that she opened the door and her mother crawled from the house into the front yard. The older woman was dressed for much cooler conditions, wearing layers that included a cardigan, another sweater and long pants as temperatures climbed into the upper 80s. Some early reports characterized the conditions as about 90 degrees.

Johnston said she provided her mother with water and an umbrella and went elsewhere around the house, checking on her only once or twice during the next couple of hours. She told investigators that her mother was sitting at an angle because of the broken hip and was breathing heavily. When Son Johnston eventually called out for help and appeared to be in distress, her daughter called 911. During that call, according to arrest papers, Johnston said her mother appeared dehydrated or possibly unconscious but indicated that she did not think the situation was urgent.

Emergency responders documented details that investigators said did not fully match that account. Medics reported seeing no water bottle, chair or source of shade near Son Johnston when they arrived. Arrest records said the older woman was in direct sunlight. Her temperature was measured at 101.8 degrees at the hospital shortly before 1 p.m., and the autopsy documented injuries from sun exposure. Those findings became part of the evidence reviewed during a lengthy investigation into whether the conditions outside and the care provided by Johnston contributed criminally to the death.

The case also includes a prior contact involving concerns about Son Johnston’s care. Arrest papers cited by local news organizations say authorities had warned Kim Johnston about a month before her mother’s death after the older woman was left on a floor for more than six hours following a fall. That earlier incident did not itself produce the homicide charge now before the court, but investigators included it in the chronology leading up to the July death. Its legal significance, along with other allegations in the arrest papers, would be a matter for prosecutors and the defense if the case advances.

The medical and criminal records present another issue that remains unresolved. The El Paso County Coroner’s Office initially classified Son Johnston’s death as an accident, according to reporting on the autopsy. The report also indicated that the manner could be changed if additional information became available. A coroner’s classification and a prosecutor’s charging decision answer different questions, and the accidental classification did not prevent investigators from presenting their evidence for criminal review. Authorities have not publicly announced that the manner of death has since been amended.

The delay between the July 2025 death and Johnston’s September 2026 arrest was more than a year. Colorado Springs police said investigators had to assemble evidence, establish probable cause, await findings that could include the final autopsy report and present the completed case to prosecutors for a charging decision. An arrest warrant was obtained Aug. 25, 2026, and Johnston was taken into custody Sept. 3. Police described the work as a lengthy and methodical negligent-death investigation rather than an immediate arrest based solely on what officers encountered at the home.

The newly ordered competency examination now comes before those allegations can be tested through the ordinary progression of the criminal case. An expert such as a psychologist or psychiatrist is expected to examine Johnston. The judge could make a competency determination from the resulting report or conduct a hearing to consider testimony. If Johnston is found competent, proceedings can resume. If she is found incompetent, the court can order treatment intended to restore her ability to understand the case and assist counsel before prosecution moves forward.

Competency is distinct from a defense based on a person’s mental condition at the time of an alleged crime. The present inquiry concerns Johnston’s ability now to understand the proceedings and work with her attorney. The court has not ruled on whether prosecutors can prove that her conduct was criminally negligent, whether the conditions outside legally caused her mother’s death or how the previous caretaker-neglect concern may ultimately be used. Those questions remain unresolved while the competency process is underway.

The case is therefore at a procedural pause rather than at a finding on the allegations. Johnston remained in custody following the Oct. 1 proceeding despite the reduced bond, and her next scheduled appearance is Nov. 19. A competency determination is expected to shape what happens next, including when or whether the court returns to the evidence surrounding Son Johnston’s death.

Author note: Last updated October 20, 2026.