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Lima man who killed mom ruled incompetent

Lima News - 10/1/2021

Oct. 1—LIMA — After a year of intensive psychiatric treatment and evaluation, a Lima man has been found incompetent to stand trial for murdering his mother.

Joseph Cheney, 43, instead will spend a decade or more at the Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital in Toledo for stabbing his 71-year-old mother, Rachel Cheney, in the neck with a kitchen knife more than a year ago at the family residence at 908 E. Kibby St. in Lima.

Cheney was committed in August of 2020 to the Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital in Toledo after Carla Dreyer of the Forensic Psychiatry Center for Western Ohio in Dayton concluded he was unable to assist with his own defense but would likely be fit to stand trial after up to a year of treatment.

According to information revealed Thursday during a competency hearing in Allen County Common Pleas Court psychiatrists at the institution believe Cheney remains mentally ill and "could pose a great danger to society if released," Judge Terri Kohlrieser said.

The judge said the Aug. 24 report states that Cheney continues to exhibit "paranoid and grandiose delusions" and is not restorable to competency.

Such delusions were on display during a 20-minute jailhouse video played during Thursday's hearing. While being interviewed by police following his mother's death, Cheney led investigators on a rambling, nonsensical tale that include frequent mention of mafia figures and mobsters and of clandestine, underground, government-sponsored "brain alterations" and other surgeries.

During the interview Cheney admitted "taking out" his mother, telling investigators he did them and her a favor by doing so.

A plea of not guilty by reason of insanity was entered on Cheney's behalf earlier in the proceedings and led to his year-long stay at the Toledo psychiatric hospital.

According to court records, police were dispatched shortly after 10:30 a.m. on May 27, 2020, to the Kibby Street residence in reference to an unresponsive female. Upon their arrival, they located Rachel Cheney in a bedroom in the residence. She was found deceased with a large knife protruding from the side of her neck.

Her son was taken into custody as the principal suspect.

Cheney was combative during his initial appearance in Lima Municipal Court in June of last year, 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 silent during his hearing on Thursday.

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