A Tampa judge has approved a prosecution request that Julie Schenecker be evaluated by three state-appointed psychologists. She's accused of murdering her teenage son and daughter.
Last August, Schenecker's public defenders filed their intention to argue that 50-year-old New Tampa woman couldn't discern right from wrong when she shot each of the teens twice in the head on January 27, 2011.
The filing said Schenecker was suffering from "bipolar disorder with psychotic features."
Schenecker faces two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her 16-year-old daughter, Calyx, and 13-year-old son, Beau, in their Tampa home. She told authorities she did it because the children had been "mouthy" and disrespectful.
Her husband told detectives that she had struggled for years with mental illness and recent substance-abuse issues.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Trial is expected to begin in October.
The judge also approved a motion to make available discovery material and video from the day of Schenecker's arrest.
