Murder suspect's mental fitness subject of hearing

A fitness hearing will be held next month for a one-time football standout with NFL aspirations charged with killing his neighbor in Lombard, a judge ordered Wednesday.

Hubert "Boo Boo" Thompson is accused of hurling his neighbor to his death over a third-floor railing on March 30, 2007, sparking a seven-hour police standoff on Lombard's southwest side.

Authorities have said Thompson, 29, confessed during a videotaped interview to killing James A. Malone, 66, in an unprovoked attack on the 1100 block of South Finley Road after accusing the man of trying to poison him.

A court-appointed psychiatrist who evaluated Thompson recently found him mentally unfit to stand trial. But Dr. James Murray noted in his report that Thompson likely could be restored to fitness within one year with the proper treatment.

On Wednesday, DuPage Circuit Judge Robert Anderson set an Oct. 17 fitness hearing. Prosecutors did not request a second opinion other than Murray's.

If the judge next month finds Thompson unfit, the defendant will be sent to a high-security state mental institution for treatment until experts deem him ready for trial.

At Proviso West High School in Hillside, the 6-foot, 5-inch Thompson ran a 4.7 40-yard dash and bench pressed 375 pounds. He was the nation's top-rated defensive end prospect his senior year in 1996-97. Thompson also won back-to-back state heavyweight wrestling titles.

After high school, he went to Michigan State University but sat out his first two seasons because of poor grades. During the 1999 season, he was named the team's most-improved player after recording 45 tackles and seven sacks.

Thompson left college early to declare for the NFL draft, but he was not selected. The New Orleans Saints signed the free agent in 2000, but he never played a down in the league after getting cut two days into workouts after a sideline dispute with a veteran teammate.

Thompson did play for the Chicago Enforcers of the failed XFL in 2001.