VA murder suspect avoids trial
The judge accepted a not guilty plea for murder suspect Rudy Perez on Monday. He avoided a trial set for next month.
Perez will be sent to the state mental facility in Fulton. He was accused of beatingRobert Hill to deathinside a common room at the VA hospital in Columbia February 1.
Defense attorney David Smith said Perez suffers from schizophrenia and was off his medications during the incident.
A judge approved a second mental evaluation for Perez in late August. His trial was originally scheduled for October 1.
