By Chris Taylor
Paducah, KY – A hearing in February determines if Heath High School shooter Michael Carneal's mental illness prevented him from appealing his guilty plea to murdering several students at the campus in 1997. U.S. District Judge Thomas Russell set the hearing six-months ahead so attorneys have time to file legal briefs and gather depositions from expert witnesses. Carneal claims he didn't discover the extent of his mental illness until seven years ago after taking more potent medication. The Paducah Sun reports Russell ruled last March that 27-year-old Carneal is entitled to the hearing. He was 14 at the time of the shootings and is currently serving a life sentence without the chance of parole for 25 years.