SPRINGFIELD, MO -- The man charged in the Tucson, Arizona, shooting that killed six and injured a congresswoman will soon be on his way to Missouri.
In a ruling late Monday, a judge ordered Jared Loughner to undergo a mental evaluation at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield.
The judge wants it to happen as soon as possible and no later than April 29.
Officials will videotape the evaluation and give it to prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Loughner has pleaded not guilty to dozens of federal charges. The shooting on January 8 left 6 people dead and 13 others wounded.
You can see a photo gallery of Arizona shooting victims here.
Loughner won’t be the first prisoner of note to make a stop at the so-called “Fed Med” in Springfield.
John Gotti, also known as “Dapper Don” went to the facility in 2000 for an illness. He died there 2 years later. The infamous New York mafia boss was convicted for racketeering and six murders.
Omar Abdel-Rahman, the “blind sheik” was convicted of participating in the first World Trade Center bombing. He stayed at the medical center several times beginning in 1995.
Robert Stroud, “the Birdman of Alcatraz” is possibly the most famous prisoner to spend time at the medical center. He died there of natural causes 1963. He was the subject of the 1962 film “Birdman of Alcatraz.”
Larry Flynt arrived at the center for a medical evaluation in 1984. The Hustler Magazine publisher claimed he didn’t receive proper treatment while at the Springfield facility.
The Fed Med was built in 1933.
The medical facility is 2-3 hours away from parts of Mid-Missouri. How do you feel about having Loughner in the Springfield area? Let us know by leaving a comment below and voting in our online poll.
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