A Beardstown man is awaiting placement into an Illinois Department of Human Services facility after he has been found unfit for trial once again.
Andrew J. Wright, 42, appeared in Cass County Circuit Court on Tuesday on a petition for Rule to Show Cause why Wright had not been placed into an IDHS facility for mental health treatment. Wright had been combative while in custody at the Schuyler County Jail, refusing mental health evaluations since this spring as officials had worked to bring him to fitness as well as bring the case to a conclusion.
Wright was arrested in March 2024 in Beardstown by Beardstown Police and Cass County Sheriff's Deputies after a report of shots fired at a home in the 400 Block of East 5th Street. Upon arrival, officers found one individual wounded by a gunshot. They were transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Wright was identified as a person of interest in the incident after a brief investigation. Sheriff's deputies were able to apprehend Wright early the next day.
The Cass County State's Attorney's Office filed charges of attempted first degree murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm, both Class X felonies; and Class 1 felony aggravated discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle, possession of a firearm by a felon, and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
Associate Judge Kevin Tippey has presided over the matter since December. After mental health examinations and refusals for examinations by Wright, he was first found unfit to stand trial on July 22. Wright had refused a mental re-evaluation by psychiatrist Dr. Terry Killian in June. Wright had originally been evaluated for mental fitness in the case in July 2024 while in custody. Judge Tippey was said to have found him unfit and the court believed in July 2025 that he would remain unfit for a lengthy amount of time, according to online court records.
A civil commitment hearing was set to be held on August 1 but had been delayed. The next hearing on the petition on rule to show cause has been scheduled for October 8. As of this morning, Wright is no longer listed as an inmate at the Schuyler County Jail.