Teen agrees not to fight extradition
The Thomson teen-ager charged with killing his parents and stabbing his sister will not fight efforts by McDuffie County authorities to bring him back from Florida to face trial.
Matt Dean, 18, waived extradition Wednesday during a hearing held at a Daytona Beach, Fla., rehabilitation center, where he is recovering from a wreck in nearby Brevard County.
''He indicated that he voluntarily wanted to go back. He did not want to fight it,'' said Florida Assistant State Attorney Reggie Moore, who attended the hearing.
McDuffie County Sheriff Logan Marshall said he is working with Florida officials on the details of transporting the suspect back for trial. By law, Georgia has 30 days to take custody of Mr. Dean.
''We're going to do it as soon as we can, but there are a lot of hoops to jump through right now,'' Sheriff Marshall said Wednesday.
Mr. Dean was represented by Volusia County Public Defender Terry Rawlinson during the brief hearing, which took place while the suspect sat in his bed in a hospital gown.
Volusia County Judge Mary Jane Anderson advised the suspect of his rights, and Mr. Dean signed papers agreeing not to fight extradition. If he had fought it, the process to extradite him could have taken 90 days.
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Matt Dean: Thomson teen charged with killing his parents is being guarded in a Florida hospital as he recovers from surgery.
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Mr. Dean has been guarded round-the-clock since he was captured Aug. 4 after a wreck on the property of the Kennedy Space Center. Authorities said he killed David and Terri Dean on Aug. 3 in Thomson and then drove the family car to Florida.
Mr. Dean's legs and several ribs were broken after a head-on collision with a truck, a wreck that killed 52-year-old Eddie Delawder of Winter Park, Fla. The teenHe required surgery to remove his spleen and repair his legs, officials said.
Reach Greg Rickabaugh at (706) 828-3851 or greg.rickabaugh@augustachronicle.com.
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