LIMA — Joseph Cheney, the 42-year-old Lima man charged with stabbing his mother to death, has been deemed incompetent to stand trial.
Dr. Carla Dreyer from the Forensic Psychiatry Center for Western Ohio in Dayton, in her report to the Allen County Common Pleas Court, said Cheney is not competent at the current time but would likely be fit to stand trial after up to a year of treatment. Attorneys for both sides stipulated to contents of the report and Judge Terri Kohlrieser ordered Cheney committed to the Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital in Toledo for a maximum term of one year. His competency will be re-evaluated at that time.
Cheney is charged with suspicion of murder in the May 27 stabbing death of his mother, 71-year-old Rachel Cheney, at the family residence at 908 E. Kibby St. in Lima. A plea of not guilty by reason of insanity was entered on Cheney’s behalf
Police were dispatched shortly after 10:30 a.m. on that date to the Kibby Street residence in reference to an unresponsive female. Upon their arrival they located Rachel Cheney, 71, in a bedroom in the residence. She was deceased, with the cause of death identified as a stab wound to her upper torso.Her son was taken into custody as the principal suspect.
Cheney was combative during his initial appearance in Lima Municipal Court in June, telling the judge and court officials, “I ain’t got time to mess around with you (expletives). I just want to get the (expletive) out of here.”
Represented by attorney Zach Maisch, the Lima man sat mostly silent during Monday morning’s competency hearing.
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