By AP
Paducah, KY – A federal judge has ruled that Heath High school Shooter Michael Carneal's claims of mental incompetence are "too important" to decide without a full hearing. U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell yesterday turned away a request by prosecutors to halt a hearing scheduled for February in the case of 27-year-old. Prosecutors say recently discovered letters show Carneal was aware of his mental illness long before he challenged his guilty plea, meaning he filed the appeal too late. Carneal admitted in 1998 to killing three classmates and wounding five others in December of 1997 at Heath High School near Paducah. Carneal's attorneys say he was too mentally ill to disclose he was hearing voices at the time of the shooting and plea. Carneal is serving life in prison and is eligible for parole in 2023.