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Trial for suspected Starlite Motel murderer delayed to February

Church was granted a competency evaluation

Booking photo of Timothy Church.

ROANOKE, Va. – The trial for a man accused of killing a Roanoke motel owner has been postponed after his attorney expressed concern about his client's mental health.

Timothy Church is accused of killing Ishvarlal Patel at the Starlite Motel in January.

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Police say Church beat Patel with a baseball bat.

Prosecutors say a judge granted the defense's request for a mental evaluation to determine Church's competency and sanity at the time of the crime.

The trial has been moved to February.