Eds: APNewsNow. Will be led.

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) David Tarloff was diagnosed as schizophrenic and hospitalized more than a dozen times before hacking a Manhattan psychologist to death with a meat cleaver.

Last month, psychiatrists said he was mentally fit to stand trial on murder charges for the February 2008 slaying of Kathryn Faughey.

His lawyer is pursuing a rare insanity defense in a case that highlights how the legal system tends to hold even severely mentally ill people accountable for answering criminal charges.

The finding means Tarloff can understand such basics as the charges and his lawyer's role. His lawyer, Bryan Konoski, believes he has a strong bid for an insanity defense, which hinges on Tarloff's mental state at the time of the crime.

Manhattan prosecutors declined comment on the case.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-01-09 1138CST | save this article / add to your favorites list