CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The UNC graduate student accused of killing his professor made his first appearance in Superior Court on Tuesday.
Police said Tailei Qi shot and killed his professor, Zijie Yan, on campus.
Qi has been in jail without bond and underwent a mental health evaluation, which, local attorney, Jason Keith said is standard protocol in first degree murder cases.
"In any criminal proceeding, you have to show that the person is mentally competent to stand trial so every criminal case requires an element of intent, and intent, is a mental mindset," Keith said.
Qi's defense attorneys addressed his mental health during Tuesday's court proceedings, saying he is unfit to stand trial based on an expert's evaluation.
The state motioned to have him sent to Central Regional Hospital in Butner to be evaluated by the state, which the judge granted. Central Regional Hospital (CRH) is one of three State psychiatric hospitals in North Carolina.
Keith said in cases where mental capacity is in question, someone cannot go on trial unless a court first determines they are mentally capable.
Qi will stay at the hospital until his next court date, set for November 14.
Qi also spoke in court Tuesday on his own behalf.
Qi's lawyer told the judge that Qi was also requesting someone else to represent him in this case but it was decided in court that it wasn't the appropriate time to address that request at this time.
A grand jury indicted Qi on felony charges, including first-degree murder and bringing a gun on educational property.
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Subscribe to our daily newsletter Let’s Get 2 It!
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.