Local Murder Suspect Claims Mental Defect, Asks Judge For Exam and New Venue for Trial

By: Matt Crane, Dubois County Free Press

JASPER -- Last week, the attorney for the man accused of murdering a 23-year-old Huntingburg woman filed a defense of mental disease or defect for his client.

Kyle D. Schneider, 27, Huntingburg, was charged with the murder of Chloie Lubbehusen after being arrested at the scene of the crime that occurred at a County Road 650E residence near St. Anthony on January 11.

Schneider’s attorney, Timothy Demotte, filed a notice of defense of mental disease or defect in Dubois Circuit Court and asked for the court to appoint “two (2) or three (3) competent, disinterested psychiatrists or psychologists endorsed by the State Psychology Board” to examine Schneider.

Demotte also filed a motion for a change of venue based on his perception that Schneider won’t receive a fair trial due to the media coverage of the incident and arrest. He characterized this coverage as prejudicial news reporting and editorializing which castigated his client. He also listed the public hostility towards his client; public outrage over the offense; the speculative opinions as to the personality and character of the accused; disclosures of inadmissible evidence; and the existence and contents of confessions as reasons for the request.

To support his position, the motion included examples of the coverage with comments made by viewers on social media.