A 25-year-old Belleville area man was found not guilty by reason of mental illness or defect in connection with the stabbing death of his grandmother in 2008.

St. Clair County Associate Judge Vince Lopinot found Logan D. Dyjak not guilty by mental illness during a stipulated bench trial on Tuesday.

Dyjak lived with his grandmother Judith A. Bauer, 66. He was accused of strangling and stabbing Bauer who was found in the upper level of her home at 320 Las Olas near Belleville on June 26, 2008. She returned home earlier that day from the hospital after she suffered a stroke. Dyjak later told police that he had 10-minute conversation with his grandmother after she arrived home, then stabbed her and strangled her. Concerned relatives called police when they couldn't contact Bauer.

Dyjak was diagnosed by psychologists Daniel Cuneo and Dr. John Rabun as having schizoaffective disorder bipolar type.

"At the time of the murder, he was experiencing paranoid and religious delusions and acted out upon them," Cuneo wrote in his report.

Dyjak told police that he feared his grandmother was going to hurt his 4-year-old niece.

A week before Bauer's murder, a police report stated that Dyjak attacked his sister, pulled her to the ground and tried to strangle her. Relatives told police that Dyjak had earlier fired an arrow with a compound bow through Bauer's bedroom door.

"She was afraid, but would not turn him away," the relative told police.

O'Fallon Police found Dyjak later that night along Illinois 159 near Hollywood Heights Road in Caseyville, carrying a large knife. Police believe he was on his way to another family member's home. A relative told police that she found the name of Dyjak's sister's and aunt's name on a list beneath Bauer's name.

He told police "I killed my grandma," according to a police report.

Cuneo previously found Dyjak unfit to stand trial in 2009. He was sent to Alton Mental Health Center for almost a year before he was returned to St. Clair County Jail to face the murder charge.

On Tuesday, the prosecution and defense stipulated to reports by Cuneo and Rabun that were completed in 2010. Dyjak was placed under the care of the Illinois Department of Human Services. During those evaluations, Dyjak told both Cuneo and Rabun that he thought God spoke to him.

"Defendant shall be placed in a secure setting," the order stated.

"This investigator's job is to put together the totality of the investigation and present everything to the state, even information that may help defend the suspect," said St. Clair County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Johnson. "From that point, the outcome of the crime is solely decided by the judicial system."

His case is set for review on Jan. 17.

Contact reporter Beth Hundsdorfer at bhundsdorfer@bnd.com or 618-239-2570.