JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. >> A southern Indiana man accused of killing his former girlfriend and eating parts of her body in 2014 will undergo psychiatric evaluations, despite his insistence that he’s competent for trial.

Defense lawyers say Joseph Oberhansley can’t consult with them or understand court proceedings. Clark County Circuit Court Judge Vicki Carmichael this week granted their request for evaluations.

The News and Tribune reports that Oberhansley, of Jeffersonville, told the judge that he is “completely innocent of all of these false charges” and is “completely competent.”

Oberhansley is charged with murder, rape and abuse of a corpse in the September 2014 slaying of 46-year-old Tammy Jo Blanton. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.