Psych evaluation for woman charged with running over boyfriend

A River Grove woman accused of killing her boyfriend by running him over with a vehicle outside Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles will have her sanity evaluated.

Lawrence Sommers, the attorney for Kathleen Vulpitta, requested the psychiatric evaluation Monday after entering her plea of "not guilty" to five counts of first-degree murder.

Sommers told DuPage County Judge Brian Telander that he wants a fitness examination to see if Vulpitta is capable of assisting in her defense and an evaluation for insanity. He said her overall health and her mental health are factors, but did not provide details.

Vulpitta, 56, is accused of killing Earl Hagen Jr., 56, of Plainfield. He was found at 9:20 p.m. Sept. 6 in the Pheasant Run parking lot. The two were staying at the resort.

Prosecutors said Vulpitta used Hagen's car to run him over. They previously said the victim had bruises and tire marks on his chest.

According to prosecutors, witnesses say they heard Vulpitta and Hagen arguing earlier in the day, and that she said she would kill him.

Vulpitta is being held on $2 million bail in the Kane County jail.

Her next court date is at 9 a.m. Nov. 14.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Vulpitta would be sentenced to at least 20 years in prison, with no possibility of early release.