State to have mental evaluation on murder suspect

Defense wants evaluation recorded

James Rhodes appears in court for a pretrial hearing.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The man charged with murdering a 20-year-old woman last year is now awaiting a mental evaluation by a psychologist on behalf of the state attorney's office.

James Rhodes was back in court Monday for a pretrial hearing in the killing of Shelby Farah. His lawyers claim he's intellectually disabled, and thus not eligible for a possible death penalty.

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Their psychologist has examined him, but the results have not yet been presented to the judge.

Shelby Farah

The state attorney's office wants its own psychologist to do an evaluation, and that's been ordered.

The defense filed a motion to record that examination.

Investigators said Rhodes shot and killed Farah during a burglary at a MetroPCS store in Brentwood.

Rhodes' next hearing is Nov. 24.