Mental health evaluation set for Oak Grove murder suspect

A mental health evaluation will take place Thursday for murder suspect Rudolfo Amaya, who also appeared in Christian Circuit Court Wednesday morning. 

Amaya is represented by public defender Doug Moore, who informed the court he has enlisted a psychiatric expert to conduct a mental health evaluation on his client, and he hopes to have a report ready not long after.

Proceedings were continued to November 29, to allow for that evaluation to be completed and a report to be properly filed. 

Amaya is charged with murder in the first degree and first-degree wanton endangerment in the fatal shooting death of 43-year-old Dante Welch. 

He is alleged to have shot and killed Welch on New Gritton Avenue in Oak Grove in March of this year—he allegedly shot Welch, who was inside of a parked vehicle, in front of a toddler who was also in the vehicle.