GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A man accused in the beating deaths of his in-laws in southern Kent County will undergo a competency exam to determine if he understands the charges against him and can assist in his own defense.
That decision was made during a brief hearing earlier this week in 63rd District Court in the felony murder case of Nathan S. Board.
The 33-year-old Caledonia man is accused of killing Theodore R. Syrek and wife Patty D. Syrek earlier this month in Alto. Investigators say Board entered their home on Jordan River Drive SE and beat them with a blunt object as they slept.
Board had been separated from his wife, Sarah, police said. The couple were married in Alto in June of 2016.
He admitted to killing Sarah's parents by striking them several times with a blunt object as they slept in an upstairs bedroom, court records show. He locked the door as he left their home.
Police conducting a welfare check on the couple discovered their bodies on Sept. 4. Deputies picked up Board for questioning later that day and were transporting him to the Kent County Sheriff’s Department when Board told deputies he was going to be sick, court records show.
They pulled over on Cherry Valley Avenue near 92nd Street SE, at which point Board took off and ran into traffic.
Deputies quickly caught Board, who attempted to break free and punched a sergeant in the head. He was charged with resisting and opposing an officer for that incident.
During an interview with detectives the next day, “Board admitted and confessed to killing both Theodore and Patty Syrek,’’ according to court documents.
“Board admitted that he entered the home armed with a blunt object, quietly snuck upstairs to the bedroom where the Syreks were sleeping,’’ according to a probable cause affidavit. “Board admitted to striking the Syreks numerous times with the blunt object and admitted that he was aware that they were both deceased prior to leaving their home.’’
A visiting judge this week approved a request from defense attorney John Pyrski for both a competency evaluation and an order for evaluation relative to criminal responsibility.
It typically takes several weeks or months for the evaluations to be completed. Board remains held in the Kent County Jail without bond.
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