Purdue dorm murder suspect goes back to mental health hospital

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A man accused of stabbing his roommate to death at Purdue University has been ordered to return to a state mental health facility.

A judge made the determination for Ji Min Sha after a hearing on Friday.

Sha told the court he’s an intelligence agent. He claimed the Central Intelligence Agency communicated with him via coded messages.

Earlier this month, the court learned Sha wasn’t consistently taking his prescribed antipsychotic medications. According to a report from the contractor overseeing his medical care, Sha has taken his prescriptions only three times since mid-September. He’s considered “non-compliant.”

A judge later ordered him to take the medication.

Sha is accused of stabbing Varun Manish Chheda, his roommate, to death in a dorm room at Purdue’s McCutcheon Hall in October 2022. He’s charged with murder.

His mental health has been at the center of the case for months.

Doctors previously determined he met the criteria for schizophrenia and didn’t comprehend the legal proceedings. They believed his competency could be restored at a mental health institution and later said he was competent for trial as long as he took his medications.

Sha is set to undergo a sanity evaluation.

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