DURHAM — A judge has determined that Crystal Mangum, the woman who was at the center of the Duke University lacrosse scandal, possesses the necessary competence to be tried for murder.

The defendant was alert, oriented and could describe the charges against her and the events leading up to her arrest, Superior Court Judge Jim Hardin read in court this morning from the hospital's evaluation report.

Mangum was evaluated at Central Regional Hospital by Dr. Charles Vance from Sept. 22 to Oct. 7.

Hardin determined that, based on Vance's report, Mangum possessed the minimum capacity to proceed to trial.

Christopher Shella, Mangum's attorney, did not offer any further arguments.

Mangum, 33, is charged with stabbing her boyfriend, 46-year old Reginald Daye, in his apartment at 3507 Century Oaks Drive during a domestic dispute April 3.

Daye was taken to Duke Hospital with several cuts and bruises to his left arm and a single stab wound that injured his left lung, diaphragm, stomach, colon, left kidney and spleen. He died April 13.

Mangum is currently being held in Durham County Jail with $200,000 bond.