DURHAM — A judge ruled Wednesday 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 from the hospital's evaluation report.

Dr. Charles Vance evaluated Mangum between Sept. 22 and Oct. 7 at Central Regional Hospital.

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, Reginald Daye, 46, during a domestic dispute April 3 in his apartment at 3507 Century Oaks Drive.

Daye was taken to Duke Hospital with 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 being held in Durham County jail in lieu of $200,000 bail.

Five years ago, Mangum accused members of the Duke lacrosse team of sexually assaulting her while she was working as a stripper at a party. The accusations were eventually found false, and the case was dismissed by state Attorney General Roy Cooper, but not before it garnered nationwide attention.

Mangum made the headlines again last year when Durham police charged her with felony arson, child abuse, vandalism andresisting a law-enforcement officer.

In February 2010, police accused Mangum of slashing the vehicle tires of her then-boyfriend Milton Walker, smashing the windshield with a vacuum cleaner, and setting fire to a pile of his clothes in a bathtub while the police and her three children were in her apartment. Mangum was convicted of child abuse, vandalism and resisting an officer. The felony arson charge was dismissed earlier this year.

Douglas: 919-932-2008