McCOOK, Neb. (AP) – Lawyers for a 20-year-old Bartley man have notified the court that he’ll use an insanity defense at his murder trial.
Stathis Kirkpatrick is accused of killing 14-year-old Kailee Clapp. The teen’s burned body was found the evening of Jan. 21, 2011, in a Bartley cemetery. She had been reported missing that morning from her McCook home.
Kirkpatrick has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and three other felony charges.
In September, Red Willow County District Judge David Urbom ruled Kirkpatrick wasn’t mentally competent and committed Kirkpatrick for treatment at the state psychiatric hospital in Lincoln.
Last month Urbom ruled Kirkpatrick competent to stand trial. The judge  said he’d reviewed a letter from a psychiatrist and psychologist who treated Kirkpatrick at the hospital.
A trial date has not been set.