A patient at who killed another patient at Regional Medical Center last September, has been found not guilty of murder – due to the fact he is considered mentally ill, according to court records.

The website al.com reports that Calhoun County Circuit Judge Debra Jones, issued an order finding Devonte Raynard Arnold, age 24, not guilty of murder by reason of metal disease or defect.

In that order, Jones cited several reports from a forensic examiner who evaluated Arnold – and according to the filing Arnold has suffered serious mental illness since the age of 19. At the time the incident occurred, Arnold was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, and was in the psychiatric unit of the hospital for treatment.

Arnold and the victim, Ian Keith Merritt, were sharing a hospital room on September 16th – when staff members heard noises coming from the room around 11:30 that night; Merritt was found lying on the floor with blood coming from his nose, mouth and head.

Arnold was taken into custody and charged with attempted murder; after Merritt died ten days later, the charge was upgraded.

Following the judge’s ruling that Arnold wasn’t competent to stand trial, he was committed to the custody of the Alabama Department of Mental Health & Mental Retardation, and will be taken to the Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Center in Tuscaloosa.

(al.com/www.al.com)