By Joe Johnson
A Superior Court judge has ordered a mental health evaluation for an Athens man who faces murder charges for a deadly shooting that occurred during a family dispute earlier this year.
Cedric Robbie Jones is accused in a grand jury indictment with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the death of 48-year-old Willie Antonio Jewell.
According to police, Jewell was a family friend who went to the Jones residence at 1249 Athens Road on February 12 to try and mediate an argument between Jones and his mother.
During the dispute, police said, Jones killed Jewell by shooting him in the head with a .40 caliber pistol. When officers arrived they found Jones sitting in a car in his driveway, and they arrested him without incident.
Jones has been detained ever since without bail at the county jail.
His attorney last month filed notice of intent to raise the issue of insanity in his defense at trial, and Judge Lisa Lott subsequently ordered that the 26-year-old defendant be evaluated by the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.