WELLSBURG — A Chester man indicted for the death of his father 37 years ago is expected to undergo an evaluation to determine his competency to understand the court proceedings against him.

On Thursday, Thomas Kroger, court-appointed attorney for James Edward Adams Sr., 63, of Chester, told 1st Judicial Circuit Court Judge Jason Cuomo he will file a motion for such an evaluation.

Pending Cuomo’s approval of that motion, Adams’ next appearance in court is expected to follow that evaluation.

Kroger also entered a not guilty plea on his client’s behalf.

Adams is being held in the Northern Regional Jail on a charge of making terroristic threats for allegedly warning investigating officers he could harm others if they didn’t arrest him for the death of his 65-year-old father, Edward Frank Adams, in 1987.

James Adams was indicted for murder by the Brooke County Grand Jury on March 3 after allegedly confessing to the Nov. 27, 1987 shooting death of his father.

A criminal complaint filed against Adams for the charge states he contacted the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department on Nov. 10, 2024, to claim responsibility for his father’s death, which had been ruled a suicide by a Jefferson County coroner at the time.

It further states Adams told a Brooke County sheriff’s deputy he had shot his father in the head while he was sleeping, wiped the weapon and told investigating officers his father had committed suicide.