TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. – A judge ordered a former Purdue University student charged with murder to take his medication as he awaits trial.
Ji Min Sha appeared for a hearing Wednesday after the court learned he was not 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.”
Sha is accused of stabbing Varun Manish Chheda, his roommate, to death in a dorm room at McCutcheon Hall in October 2022. He’s charged with murder.
His mental health and competency have been at the center of the case.
Sha reportedly suffers from delusions. Doctors had previously determined he met the criteria for schizophrenia and didn’t comprehend the legal proceedings against him. They believed competency could be restored at a mental health institution and later said he was competent to stand trial as long as he took his medications.
Sha was prescribed Zyprexa and Risperdal; both medications are used to treat schizophrenia.
But in court Wednesday, Sha said he wasn’t taking them because he doesn’t believe he has schizophrenia.
The judge said Wednesday that he can’t make a decision regarding Sha’s competency to stand trial if he refuses to take his medicine. The judge will receive updates each time Sha refuses to do so.
A status conference in the case is scheduled for Oct. 13, according to court records.
