A federal judge has ordered Anthony Lightfoot '92 to undergo psychiatric evaluation at a Butner, N.C., facility in order to determine his mental state and his competence to stand trial.
Magistrate Judge William Barry also placed Lightfoot in the custody of the U.S. attorney general approximately three weeks ago, which was more than three months after the student was arrested for sending hate-mail to an official of Dartmouth's black alumni association, according to the Valley News.
Lightfoot had been in state custody at the adult psychiatric services of the New Hampshire Hospital since April, the Valley News reported.
Quoting unnamed sources, the Associated Press reported April 19 that Lightfoot was being held for psychiatric evaluation at the state mental hospital in Concord.
But when authorities realized his commitment to the hospital would expire on Aug. 3, they decided to execute a federal arrest warrant charging Lightfoot with issuing threatening communications on July 25, according to the Valley News.
Lightfoot will return to the U.S. District Court in Concord after his psychiatric evaluation has been completed, which will probably take from 60 to 90 days, the Valley News reported.
The case will appear before a grand jury if Lightfoot is found competent to stand trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Papps told the Valley News.
In a motion for evaluation submitted to the court, Papps wrote "there is a legitimate question as to the defendant's mental state," justifying the U.S. attorney's office request for Lightfoot's evaluation, the Valley News reported.
FBI media coordinator Special Agent Peter Ginieres told the Valley News competency was defined as knowing the difference between right and wrong, understanding the charges and being able to actively participate in the defense.
The motion stated a search was conducted to find Lightfoot, after he sent electronic-mail messages to members of the College community.
The court document said he was finally located in Aquinas House, the Valley News reported.
Dressed in military clothing, investigators found Lightfoot in possession of a black bag, containing a Bible, gun cleaning materials and eight rounds of rifle ammunition, according to the document.
Lightfoot had not succeeded in obtaining his rifle, which was in storage with Dartmouth security,the document stated.
"In my former squad, we all took an oath that we would sooner die than be either captured or bring dishonor to ourselves or the unit," Lightfoot had written in an electronic-mail message to a Reserve Officer Training Corps official at the College, according to the document.
"Since I have brought dishonor to myself, I am confident that it is my duty to take this course," he continued.
After being found, Lightfoot was taken for evaluation at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and involuntarily committed to the state hospital, the Valley News reported.
The criminal complaint against Lightfoot alleged he threatened to lynch Morris Whitaker '74, the treasurer of the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association, and rape and murder Whitaker's wife.
Lightfoot, who described himself as African-American in a letter to The Dartmouth in March, confessed he wrote the letter after being questioned by the Hanover police, the complaint said.
Although Lightfoot matriculated with the Class of 1992, he took two-and-a-half years off to serve in the U.S. Army.
It is not clear whether Lightfoot was a member of Dartmouth's Reserve Officer Training Corps.
Before the incident, Lightfoot had been scheduled to graduate in June. Dean of the College Lee Pelton temporarily suspended Lightfoot in April, based on the information of Lightfoot's alleged involvement in a hate crime.
Pelton could not be reached for comment last night.
"Tony liked to brag about his accessibility to weapons and he would burst in rooms unannounced," a freshman who lived on his residence hall told The Dartmouth in April.
A history and government double major, Lightfoot was also a staff columnist for The Dartmouth Review, the off-campus conservative weekly.
Lightfoot's mother, Ann, said she has not heard from her son for a couple of months, in an interview from her home in Lynwood, Wash., yesterday.
"I don't even know where he is now," Ann Lightfoot said.
In an interview with The Dartmouth in April, Government Professor Mlada Bukovansky described him as an excellent student.
