Charlene Mess, accused of killing, burying husband in manure to be evaluated

WARSAW, N.Y. — A New York woman charged with killing her farmer husband and burying his body in manure will undergo more psychiatric evaluation.

Wyoming County District Attorney Donald O’Geen says he’s received a judge’s permission to have Charlene Mess evaluated by a doctor his office chooses.

Because of the development, a hearing scheduled for Monday has been postponed.

O’Geen in October disputed findings by two other doctors that Mess was not competent to stand trial.

Searchers found the body of 52-year-old Douglas Mess on the couple’s Attica farm in April. Investigators say he’d been hit with a pitchfork and killed by a .22-caliber rifle shot to the back of his head.

Mess has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, assault, evidence tampering, using a firearm in a crime and lying to investigators.