Sanity hearing in La. for beheaded boy's father

[October 18, 2011]  THIBODAUX, La. (AP) -- Psychiatrists were scheduled to tell a Louisiana judge Tuesday whether they believe a man can help his lawyers defend him against charges that he bludgeoned, beheaded and dismembered his disabled 7-year-old son and put the boy's head in the yard.

If State District Judge John LeBlanc rules that Jeremiah Wright, 30, of Thibodaux is not competent to stand trial, Wright would go to a state mental hospital for treatment.

He is currently held in lieu of $5 million bond, charged with first-degree murder of Jori Lirette, who was born three months premature, could say only a few words and needed a feeding tube and wheelchair.

Two psychiatrists appointed by LeBlanc and one working for prosecutors were expected to testify Tuesday afternoon.

Jori was killed Aug. 14 in their home while his mother, Jesslyn Lirette, 27, was out. His torso, lower legs and a forearm were found in a plastic bag in the trash can.

Police said Wright waived his right to an attorney and confessed the same day. The sworn police statement used to get an arrest warrant included harrowing details about the decapitation and dismemberment.

According to that statement, he said Jesslyn Lirette had told him she was kicking him out, and he left the head in their yard so she would see it when she got home and "feel stupid." By the time she arrived, police were already there and had removed the head.

The statement also quoted Wright as saying that signs -- including being defecated and urinated on that morning -- made him realize that he was living with a CPR dummy rather than his son. Throughout the statement, he referred only to "the dummy," it said.

Wright told police that "he was tired of taking care of the dummy. Wright said that as soon as he realized that Jori was a dummy, and not his son, he 'started contemplating on killing him,'" according to the statement.

It quoted him as saying "that because of Jori's medical condition ... he could not cry much."

[Associated Press]

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