Trial delayed for man accused of trying to kill patient

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) - Authorities have delayed legal proceedings because of competency concerns about an Iowa man accused of trying to kill a fellow state psychiatric hospital patient.

Court records say 44-year-old Terrance Rooney Jr. has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that a judge ordered a trial delay so Rooney could be evaluated for his ability to participate in his defense.

Rooney has been a patient at the Mental Health Institute in Independence for years and was a patient there when he pleaded guilty in 1999 to making a threat to the life of President Bill Clinton.

Authorities say in the latest case that Rooney tried to suffocate another patient in November and twisted the thumb of a staffer and threatened to kill her in February.

___

Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, http://www.wcfcourier.com