Man Charged With Attempted Murder—Of A Mannequin!

Apparently Nevada law makes this a possibility because of intent.

A 30-year-old man some experts say is deranged and a danger to the community is facing an attempted murder charge for bashing the head of a mannequin with a hammer February 22nd.

CBS-Local TV in Vegas reports Shane Allen Schindler is also going to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, according to officials.

The reason for the charge is Schindler is believed to be linked to the murder of two homeless people on January 4 and February 3. Two homeless men were beaten to death with a hammer in downtown Vegas, but not robbed.

February 22nd, Schindler was seen on hidden surveillance cameras creeping up to a mannequin dressed like a homeless person, it's face covered with a blanket. He then took a ballpeen hammer out of a plastic bag, and slammed the decoy in the skull. The mannequin had been placed near the two murder scenes as a police decoy, they hoped to lure the killer into thinking he was getting another victim.

Schindler's public defender says attempted murder of a mannequin is legally impossible, but Nevada and most other states have laws that take into account a person's intent and what they were thinking when they commit a crime. Prosecutors say for all he knew, Schindler was beating a homeless person, not a dummy. It was the intent that led to the attempted murder charge.

His bail has been set at $50K.