Psychiatric evaluation ordered for Fox River Grove murder suspect

A psychiatrist will examine a Fox River Grove man charged with beating his stepmother to death with a hammer to determine if the man was sane at the time of the murder.

Martin N. Green, 27, faces six counts of first-degree murder for the death of Patricia L. McNamara at the family’s home in February 2010.

On Friday, McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather approved defense attorney Hank Sugden’s request for up to $3,500 for a psychiatric evaluation of Green, who Prather found fit to stand trial earlier this month.

Green recently returned from a downstate mental health facility after spending five months undergoing evaluation. A psychiatrist there diagnosed Green with drug-induced psychosis.

His attorney said Green has undergone counseling and is taking medication.

That was before examiners diagnosed Green with paranoid schizophrenia and possibly bipolar disorder in July, when Prather had ruled Green unfit for trial.

She had said at the time there was a high probability Green would be fit after going through state-supervised treatment.

But previous evaluations don’t “go to issue of whether he was insane or sane at time of the alleged offense,” Sugden said.

Green, a former substitute teacher, traveled to Brazil two and a half years ago; when he returned, he started threatening family members, Sugden said.

“No one knows what happened,” Sugden said. “When he came back, he was different.”

A status hearing is scheduled for March 18.