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Mental Exam Ordered for Suspect Bixby Bomber

Carol Durkee

A man accused of setting off a pipe bomb outside an Air Force recruiting office in Oklahoma has been ordered to undergo a mental evaluation.

The Tulsa World reports that U.S. Magistrate Frank McCarthy ordered the evaluation Friday for 28-year-old Benjamin Roden after defense attorneys questioned whether he can assist in his own defense.

Noting his recent apparent mental decline, McCarthy says Roden may be suffering from a mental health issue that has rendered him incompetent to prepare for trial.

Roden is accused of setting off a pipe bomb late Monday outside an unoccupied Air Force recruiting office in suburban Tulsa.

Roden is described in court records as a disgruntled U.S. veteran who "hated the military."