Tailei Qi, the man charged with the murder of UNC
Professor Zijie Yan, will undergo a mental evaluation in the coming weeks.
In March, an Orange County judge ruled Qi was
mentally competent to stand trial for the August 2023 murder.
Qi’s defense attorneys say they plan to argue Qi
is not guilty by reason of insanity, which is the reason for the additional
mental evaluation.
On Tuesday morning, Qi’s attorney told Judge Richard
Baddour he should be evaluated this week or next.
She and Assistant District Attorney Anna Orr
requested a hearing on September 15th after the evaluation is
complete.
“Hopefully if that’s complete, that will give us sufficient
time to request an interpreter,” Orr said.
It is unclear if Qi will be transported to Central
Regional Hospital for the evaluation; his attorney said at last check on
Friday, Qi was in the Orange County Jail.
Being found mentally competent for trial means that a defendant understands the
charges against him/her and can assist their attorneys in their defense.
Whether a defendant is mentally “insane” at the time of the crime is a
different question.
For Qi to be
found guilty, a jury must believe he both committed the crime and had the
intent to do so.