Charles Felix Jones, the 20-year-old Anaconda man accused of firing into the front of Helena's Planned Parenthood of Montana clinic in 2023 and allegedly plotting to kill an abortion provider in Missoula this past March, plans to pursue a mental health-related defense, according to court documents filed this week.

Jones appeared virtually from the Missoula County Detention Center on Tuesday for an omnibus hearing before a state district judge. The filing signals that his legal team intends to challenge the charges at least in part on the basis of his mental state at the time of the alleged offenses — a strategy that will likely require psychiatric evaluation and could affect how the case proceeds toward trial.

Helena residents may recall the 2023 shooting at the Planned Parenthood clinic, which serves patients across the region. No one was injured in that incident, but the building sustained damage. The Missoula-related charges, stemming from an alleged plot uncovered earlier this year, escalated the case from property crime to something far more serious. Jones has been held at the Missoula County Detention Center as the cases have moved through the courts.

The omnibus hearing this week was a procedural step, but the mental health defense notice is a significant development. Depending on the evaluation results, Jones could face a competency determination before the case moves further. A trial date has not been announced. Residents with connections to the clinic or to either community will be watching closely as the case continues to develop in district court.