ADA, Oklahoma (AP) - A Pottawatomie County district judge has decided that two more experts should evaluate the mental state of a former East Central University student who was found insane in a fellow classmate’s killing before he determines whether to release the defendant from a mental hospital.
Judge John Canavan Jr.’s decision follows the examination of two experts from the hospital, the Oklahoma Forensic Center, who came up with dramatically different conclusions about whether Jerrod Murray is dangerous to himself or the public, The Ada News reports (https://bit.ly/1Luqwub ).
Psychologist Peter Rausch said Murray doesn’t currently demonstrate signs of mental illness.
“Additionally, while he voiced some ideas that could be perceived as odd, they were not delusional,” Rausch wrote in a Sept. 17 report.
But psychiatrist Joseph Errico diagnosed Murray as having a bipolar mood disorder with psychotic symptoms, or a combination of schizophrenia symptoms and a mood disorder such as mania or depression. Errico said Murray has a history of mental illness and that his treatment should continue.
Authorities say Murray killed 18-year-old Generro Sanchez in December 2012 after asking him for a ride to Wal-Mart in exchange for gas money. They say Murray shot Sanchez twice in the head while Sanchez was driving.
After the vehicle struck a tree, Murray pulled Sanchez out of the car, shot him again and then hid his body in a creek, according to authorities.
When Murray was arrested, he allegedly told investigators he wanted to find out what killing someone felt like.
Murray was sent to the Oklahoma Forensic Center after Canavan found him not guilty by reason of insanity earlier this year. Canavan issued the ruling after reviewing reports from prosecution and defense experts, who agreed that Murray did not know right from wrong at the time of the shooting.
Canavan is expected to review the new reports and announce on Nov. 5 whether Murray should be released from the mental hospital.
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Information from: The Ada News, https://www.adaeveningnews.com
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