Mental fitness exam ordered for man facing murder charge

A Vernon Hills man accused of smothering his wife to death will be tested to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial, authorities said.

Ronald Stolberg, 48, may suffer from issues that hinder his ability to understand the charges against him, Assistant State’s Attorney Stephen Scheller said.

Because of those issues, Lake County circuit court Judge Mark Levitt has ordered a mental fitness exam for the Vernon Hills man.

The exam has put his scheduled trial on hold, Scheller said.

Stolberg is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly suffocating his wife, Rachel Stolberg, 54, for disturbing his sleep June 7, 2011.

He had been free after his Arlington Heights mother posted 10 percent of his $3 million bond. However, Stolberg is back in Lake County jail after he tried to remove his electronic monitoring device in September, Scheller said.

Stolberg is due back in court Oct. 24.