SPENCER — An Owen County militia member, who is facing charges in connection with a scheme to have another militia member killed, will plead insanity.

Fred Keuthan, 62, of rural Cunot, faces felony charges of conspiracy to commit murder and dealing marijuana. He was being held in the Pendleton Correctional Facility on a $250,000 bond.

Police arrested Keuthan last August after alleging he hired an undercover police officer to kill Donald Mayo, a fellow member of the 14th Regiment of the Indiana State Militia. Keuthan apparently believed Mayo was a police informant.

In December, Keuthan's attorney, Steve Sherman, filed a motion stating Keuthan planned to plead insanity.

Owen Circuit Court Judge Frank Nardi has requested outside evaluations by a psychiatrist and psychologist, which are being conducted.

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12 at 2 p.m.

Sherman declined comment Friday, saying it was too early in proceedings to discuss the case.

The case drew local attention because Keuthan had planned to meet with other militia members in Bloomington last August to protest the controversial play Corpus Christi in what police say was an effort to gain an alibi for Mayo's death.

But the play, which features a homosexual Christlike figure, was actually being performed at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Police stepped in before the group could leave for Bloomington and arrested Keuthan.

The Indiana State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had been conducting a joint investigation into the militia's activities, believing the group was trafficking illegal drugs and guns.

Several other members of the 14th Regiment were arrested during the investigation.

Reporter Bethany Swaby can be reached at 331-4373 or by e-mail at bswaby@heraldt.com.