Psychiatrist finds Purdue University student unfit for trial

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) – A Lafayette psychiatrist has determined a Purdue University student accused of choking a fellow student in a random on-campus attack isn’t mentally fit for trial.

In a letter to a Tippecanoe Circuit Court judge, Dr. Richard Payne describes the symptoms and treatment of 21-year-old sophomore Boda Wu since he was admitted to secure facility in mid-November. The psychiatrist writes Wu has responded to prescribed medication, but his insight and judgment are still impaired.

Payne suggests Wu be placed into a program offering long-term residential care. He says the student’s delusional thinking renders him incompetent to stand trial.

Wu is accused of silently wrapping a phone cord around a female student’s neck and toppling her to the ground. The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier reports he’s charged with five felonies and one misdemeanor in the Aug. 31 attack.