A psychologist has found Earl Wright competent to stand trial on a murder charge, and the case against him and four co-defendants implicated in a 2009 shooting will go forward after a judge’s ruling Tuesday.

Wright, 17, is accused of murder in the death of Edward “Dickie” Whiteside, 64, who was shot at his apartment at 1268 Kentucky St. on May 28. He will be tried as an adult.

Warren Circuit Judge John Grise scheduled July 13 for Wright’s trial date, the same date as the other four defendants accused in Whiteside’s death.

Jasmine White, 18, Traymel Lee, 17, and C.J. Bunton, 20, are all charged with murder by complicity. Bunton has been charged additionally with tampering with physical evidence.

Cameron Thomas, 21, has been charged with facilitation to commit murder. All co-defendants are from Bowling Green and will be tried as adults. They were all arrested by the Bowling Green Police Department the day after the shooting.

Wright also is under a burglary indictment, having been charged in connection with a May 18 incident at a South Lee Drive residence in which three guns and two video game systems were stolen.

Wright appeared Tuesday in Warren Circuit Court, dressed in a white dress shirt, black pants and black shoes and wearing handcuffs and leg shackles, and sitting silently during his competency hearing.

Bruce Fane, the Bowling Green psychologist who evaluated Wright on Dec. 13, testified during Tuesday’s hearing that Wright was mentally competent to participate in his own defense, understand the case against him and exhibit proper conduct in court.

Fane said the evaluation took place over a two- to four-hour period and involved interviews and tests to determine

Wright’s IQ.

Wright produced a composite IQ score of 83 on tests given during the evaluation, just below the average composite IQ range of 85-115. A person with a composite IQ score below 70 could be diagnosed as suffering from mental retardation, Fane said.

Though Fane did not assess Wright for those specific conditions, the psychologist said during questioning from his public defender, Diana Werkman, that Wright exhibited possible symptoms of a conduct disorder or possibly bipolar or another mood disorder.

“It appears to me from testimony that Mr. Wright is competent to stand trial,” Grise said after testimony.

A final pretrial conference in the case has been scheduled for June 7.