FORT DODGE — Court proceedings for the man charged with murdering a Fort Dodge pastor have been suspended pending a mental health evaluation.
Judge Gina Badding ruled Friday that there is probably cause that Joshua Pendleton, the man accused of killing Pastor Al Henderson in October 2019, “is suffering from a mental disorder which prevents him from appreciating the charge, understanding the proceedings, or assisting effectively in his defense.”
His lawyers argued that Pendleton acted in an irrational manner, and isn’t able to fully appreciate the nature of the charges.
The judge also ruled Pendleton should undergo a psychiatric competency evaluation.
Pendleton will be evaluated at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coralville.