The alleged murderer of a former Ohio University professor is scheduled to undergo another mental evaluation before the results of his first evaluation have been released.
OU graduate student Jonathan Bebb, 32, will be transferred to Case Western University Hospital in Cleveland Nov. 14 at the request of his lawyer, R.J. Shostak. The defense will pay for the second evaluation. Shostak scheduled it before the results of Bebb's initial evaluation, completed last week, have been reported to the court.
Judge William Grim granted the request yesterday at a status hearing in Athens Municipal Court. Bebb was not present at the hearing.
The purpose of both mental evaluations is to determine if Bebb is competent to stand trial, said C. David Warren, Athens County prosecutor. If found incompetent, Bebb would spend up to one year in a mental institution for rehabilitation. If he is still found to be incompetent after a year, he will be placed in the state mental health system.
Legally speaking, competence is the lowest standard of mental capacity, Warren said.
Bebb was returned to Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail on Monday after finishing his first evaluation at the Timothy B. Moritz Forensic Unit of the Twin Valley Behavioral Health Care Campus in Columbus. That evaluation took several weeks, but the second evaluation would only take one day, Shostak said.
Two Athens County Sheriff's deputies, who will remain with him for the day, will drive Bebb to Cleveland, Shostak said.Following the evaluation, Bebb will be returned to the regional jail.
The prosecution can also request a third evaluation if it wishes, Warren said.
Bebb has been incarcerated since he was arrested Sept. 25 for the alleged murder of his father, OU professor Phillip Bebb. Warren and Shostak agreed that if Bebb intends to post his $250,000 bond, the defense must provide 48 hours notice so a higher bond could be requested, Warren said.
There is no intent to post bond at this time, Shostak said.
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Jess Mosser
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Yesterday in Athens Municipal Court, Robert Shostak asked Judge William Grim for a second opinion before the results of the evaluation were presented to the court on Shostak's client Jonathan Bebb.
