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Variety in the Heartland |
Mental Health Of Accused Man Questioned
02/02/12 WGC/AP
Questions are arising about the mental health of a man accused of fatally shooting the mayor of a small town in western Kentucky.
During a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, police officer Phillip Burnett testified that the suspect, Thomas Lattus, walked into the police station shortly after the slaying on January 23 and admitted shooting Hickman Mayor Charles Murphy.
Burnett said he asked Lattus why and he responded by saying "something about the Lord's tongue". Lattus' attorney, Dennis Null, requested during the hearing that the judge order his client to be evaluated for mental competency.
The judge declined to issue the order, saying it could be done later. He sent the case to be heard by a Fulton County grand jury, which meets next on March 8.
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