Man Accused Of Eating Parts Of Ex Going To Mental Hospital

(JEFFERSONVILLE) — A southern Indiana man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and eating parts of her body in 2014 is headed to a state mental hospital months after being found incompetent to stand trial.

Joseph Oberhansley

A transport order was issued Tuesday directing the Clark County Sheriff’s Office to transport Joseph Oberhansley to Logansport State Mental Hospital by Monday morning, the News and Tribune reported. The order was delayed by two months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tammy Jo Blanton

Oberhansley is charged with killing and dismembering 46-year-old Tammy Jo Blanton at her home in Jeffersonville in September 2014.

Oberhansley was found incompetent in January, but the Logansport hospital had a two-month waiting list. When it was time for him to be transported there in March, the state was already putting quarantine measures in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and the hospital put a hold on accepting new patients.

Oberhansley had been set for trial last August, but just hours into the first day, a mistrial was called when a state witness testified to information that the defense and state agreed could unfairly prejudice the jury.

Then in October, defense attorneys moved for a competency evaluation based on what they said was their client’s paranoia and uncooperative behavior. Two psychiatrists evaluated him in January and found him incompetent.