Mental health tests on accused murderer are found inconclusive

Moorhead, Minn. (WDAY TV) - Mental health tests done on a man accused of murdering a Moorhead woman 16 years ago have been found inconclusive. Now, more in-depth tests will be done.

44-year old Clarence Burcham will be sent to the Minnesota state hospital in Saint Peter within the week. Burcham has confessed to killing Sharon Stafford in 1993.

He says he strangled Stafford because she called him retarded. The psychiatric evaluation will tell whether Burcham is competent to stand trial, and if he knew what he was doing at the time of the crime.

Until the evaluation is complete, all other proceedings in Burcham's case have been put on hold. The evaluation should take about a month.