Accused of murdering his girlfriend with a baseball bat earlier this year, Anthony Ochs, through his attorney, is planning to use the defense of mental disease or defect.

On Tuesday, Ochs’ attorney, Randy Fisher, filed paperwork with the court asking for the appointment of mental health experts to evaluate Ochs to determine Ochs’ mental status at the time of the offense, as well as whether he was insane at the time.

Police arrested Ochs, 39, after he called 911 just after 3 a.m. April 13, saying he hit Susan Lombardi, 42, in the head with a baseball bat. He said he’d consumed about a dozen beers, couldn’t remember how many times he’d hit her or what it was that made him so angry, according to court documents.

Ochs was originally charged with attempted murder and Lombardi clung to life at an area hospital, suffering from multiple facial fractures and traumatic brain injuries.

A few days later, Lombardi’s family removed her from life support and Allen County prosecutors increased the charge against Ochs to murder.

Allen Superior Judge Fran Gull granted Fisher’s request for psychiatric and psychological evaluations, but kept the trial date set for mid-September.

For more on this story, see Wednesday’s editions of The Journal Gazette or visit www.journalgazette.net after 3 a.m. Wednesday.

rgreen@jg.net