Mental Tests Ordered For Slaying Suspect

An accused wife-killer has been orI dered to Ypsilanti State Hospital for psychiatrie examinations to determine his competency to stand trial. John B. McGee, called by Detroit pólice a hired killer involved in more than a dozen homicides, appeared briefly before Circuit Court Judge Edward D. Deake. ín a series of earlier hearings McGee gave lengthy and sometimes heated presentations to the court in efforts to have an attorney of his choosing appointed by Judge Deake. But this time the judge shut off McGee's attempted harangue by issuing an order for competency examinations. The defendant, 28, will undergo tests at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry at Ypsilanti State Hospital with those examinations expected to take 30 to 60 days. McGee is charged in the beating death of his-wife, Julia, 29, in her apartment on the north side of Ann Arbor last April. At Ihe time the suspect had been out of Ypsilanti State Hospital for a month. He had been sent there by a I troit judge who found him not guilty of another niurder by reason of insanity. Other action taken by Judge Deake in McGee's case was a ruling that Chief Public Defender Daniel Bambery must remain ís the defendant's legal counsel. McGee arlier had rejected Bambery as his defeilse attorney, asserting he wanted a Detroi' attorney to handle his case. The defendant claimed there exists a conflict of interest because Bambery is one of several local officials named by McGee in a U.S. District Court civil suit filed three weeks ago. In that suit Bambery, Prosecuting Attorney William F. Delhey, Judge Deake and the local Veterans Administraron Hospital are named as defendants. McGee claimed there is a éelfíspiracy among the local officials to deprive him of a defense attorI ney of his choice. In view of the suit and McGee's stand I on the matter Bambery a week ago I asked the court's permission to withdraw I from the case. But Judge Deake ruled I there exists no conflict of interest and orI dered Bambery to remain on the case. I The judge said U McGee insists on ■ defending himself if and wlien a trial is I held he will have Bambery appear as "standby" legal counsel for the defendI ant. The federal suit itself ceased to be an I issue in the case Thursday when U.S. I District Court Judge Damon Keith disI missed it. Senior Assistant Prosecuting I Attorney John Hensel said he received I I official notification from Judge Keith's I court of the dismissal. Hensel was named by Prosecutor DelI hey tbdefend him when the suit was filed I in mid-üctober.