Another mental evaluation set for man accused of cutting out father's pacemaker

A third mental evaluation will be conducted on a man accused of cutting out a pacemaker from his father's chest in April.

Jesse Fierstine, 32, of rural Manchester, has undergone two mental evaluations, one conducted by an expert hired by a public defender before his current attorney was hired and one requested by the Delaware County attorney, Mike Lahammer, Fierstine's attorney, said Thursday.

Lahammer said the court granted this third evaluation but ordered it be at the defendant's expense. It may be a month or so before the results are back, he said.

Lahammer declined to discuss results of the previous evaluations.

Fierstine filed a notice of his intent to claim insanity and/or diminished capacity shortly after his arrest.

Family members interviewed after his arrest said Fierstine suffers from bipolar disorder and wasn't on his medication at the time of the attack.

Fierstine is accused of hitting his father Charles Fierstine, 63, in the head with a flashlight and piece of firewood before using a pocketknife to cut out his pacemaker from his chest on April 25.

The next hearing in this case is set for Oct. 1, to consider a witness objection to expanded media coverage. An officer involved in Fierstine's arrest objects to the coverage out of a concern for his family's safety. A trial date is set for Oct. 21.