WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A man accused of fatally stabbing his roommate at Purdue University has been found incompetent to stand trial.
"The Court finds that the defendant presently lacks the ability to understand the proceedings and assist in the preparation of his defense," Tippecanoe Circuit Court Judge Sean M. Persin wrote of Ji Min Sha in an order Monday.
In his order, Persin wrote that Sha has reported hallucinations and has experienced chronic psychosis and delusional thoughts while in jail.
Two court-appointed independent medical experts share the opinion that Sha likely suffers from schizophrenia and that he is incompetent to stand trial, Persin wrote.
Proceedings in the case have been delayed, and the suspect has been committed to the Division of Mental Health and Addiction.
Doctors will have 90 days to determine whether Sha will ever be competent enough for a trial in the foreseeable future.
The state doesn't agree that Sha is incompetent to stand trial but is not objecting to restoration treatment, according to the order.
A status conference for Sha is scheduled for April 21.
The Tippecanoe County Prosecutor's Office formally charged Sha with murder in October.
The victim was identified as 20-year-old Varun Manish Chheda, of Indianapolis.