GEORGETOWN, Texas — A Georgetown man remains behind bars after allegedly attacking and killing his 6-year-old neighbor, Jeremy Tang Diaz.
It's a heartbreaking story that grabbed the attention of so many people last fall as investigators say Daniel Logan hit his mother with a baseball bat before forcing his way into his neighbor's home and assaulting the little boy with the bat.
Logan had a court date scheduled for Tuesday, but attorneys say there is still work to do when it comes to evaluating his mental state. According to court documents KVUE obtained, officials determined there was reasonable cause to believe Logan has a mental illness or is a person with an intellectual disability.
Attorneys representing the Tang Diaz family and Logan told KVUE that Logan underwent a state-sponsored restoration program, which means he now understands the charges against him and the legal proceedings. Now, an expert witness will give her opinion on Logan's sanity at the time of his offense.
According to Jessica Huynh, an attorney representing the Tang Diaz family, the expert will review different records, listen to different audio recordings of Logan and put this in a report for both sides to review. The state will also have an additional psychologist reviewing the case and see if they came to the same or different conclusions.
Huynh said it is a process that will take months.
"The Tang Diaz family has lost the light of their life," Huynh said. "They want their day in court to feel heard and to feel seen and to explain the events and tragedy that happened to them on that day. They want a trial because they want that space for the public to know that they have lost something so huge."
Jeremy Diaz's father, Arturo Diaz, told KVUE he's hopeful this case will eventually go to trial so they can close this cold chapter and move forward, calling the delay "unbearable."
Meanwhile, Marc Chavez, the attorney representing Logan, responded with the following statement:
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the young boy as well as his family during this trying time. While the allegations sound troubling, we ask everyone to reserve judgment until all the facts come to light especially while we investigate issues related to serious mental illness. Until that time comes, we will continue to hold that family in our prayers.”