Oklahoma Judge Orders Christian Costello To Be Evaluated By State Medical Expert

An Oklahoma judge has ruled that the man accused of fatally stabbing his father and former state labor commissioner be evaluated by a state medical expert. 

Christian Costello, 27, was charged in connection with the fatally stabbing of his father Mark Costello in August 2015. A mental competency report was filed to the judge on Tuesday.

The forensic report determining Costello's mental competency was done by an independent psychiatrist at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse and is 36 pages long.

It states Costello understands the charges against him, but the psychiatrist who evaluated him said Costello has a severe mental disease, namely schizoaffective disorder, and cannot assist his lawyer with his defense.

The report revealed several disturbing comments Costello made about his parents, about his past mental health evaluations, and about his drug use, which included taking meth, marijuana, LSD, and other legal and illegal drugs.

The forensic report also stated how he felt his public defender was working against him - and felt his mother was paying his lawyer to work against him because she was upset that he killed her husband.

"He suffers from unbelievable psychotic episodes and psychosis," said Bob Ravitz, Costello's court-appointed public defender. "And these are things he can't change, and I think that's the way he is, and I don't think he knew what he was doing when he killed his father."

Costello had nothing to say while he was lead into the Oklahoma County courtroom for his mental competency hearing, but inside, he went on a dark and twisted rant.

Costello made statements like "I am a glorified slave, I had no choice but to kill Mark Costello, Mark Costello is the devil, and I am not sorry or remorseful." 

He claimed his father's murder was part of a military operation and claims it was an ordered hit. Costello refused to answer any questions about his rant, but his attorney had this to say after the court hearing.

"He is a very, very sick individual who has a tremendous history of mental illness, and tragically, he killed his father while in a psychotic episode and didn't know right from wrong," Ravitz said.

State prosecutors dispute that but wouldn't comment on camera. They have requested their own medical expert be allowed to evaluate Costello's mental competency.

The judge has ordered for Costello to be sent to the Oklahoma Forensic Center for the next several weeks to be evaluated by  the state's medical expert. Another hearing has been set for October 12.   

Cathy Costello, Labor Commissioner Mark Costello's wife and Christian Costello's mother, released a statement Wednesday afternoon.

"Our family has faced overwhelming loss. As we continue to work on our own healing, we pray for Christian through this difficult time. In spite of this horrible tragedy, we understand that our loved one, like thousands of Oklahomans, suffers with a mental illness."