Daniel J. Opdenhoff, the State College man accused of murdering his parents last fall, was ordered to stand trial at his preliminary hearing yesterday in Centre County Courthouse, Bellefonte.

Two witnesses took the stand and provided evidence that Judge David E. Grine deemed sufficient enough to try Opdenhoff, 24, for the first-, second- and third-degree murder of William and Georgeann Opdenhoff.

State College Police Department Det. Ralph Ralston said he interviewed Opdenhoff in New York City, where he was apprehended. Ralston testified that he determined Opdenhoff to be coherent but mentally ill.

He also said Opdenhoff was able to recount details of the assault on his parents with a baseball bat but insisted the victims were "governmental droids" sent to attack him.

"[Opdenhoff] was fixated on God and the government, technology and droids," Ralston said.

According to a transcript of the interview read in court by Ralston, Opdenhoff repeatedly referred to himself as "the immaculati" and said, because of this status, it is his job to put people in heaven. However, Opdenhoff said he was not responsible for sending his parents to heaven, and that they had died prior to being murdered Oct. 19, Ralston added.

The transcript also included Opdenhoff saying he still speaks to his parents every day. Ralston said Opdenhoff demonstrated this for the officer in the back of a police car during his extradition from New York.

Also testifying for the prosecution was Dr. Gordon Handte, the pathologist who performed autopsies on both victims. Handte said the large, blunt-force trauma to the head found on each victim was consistent with being struck by a baseball bat.

Handte testified that he doubted the injuries could have been the result of 26 or 27 blows, which was how many times Opdenhoff said he struck the "droids" before throwing the bat in the woods, where it was later recovered by police. Rather, Handte said there were around 10 blows that caused injuries to the victims.

Opdenhoff's public defender, Deborah Lux, asked Ralston to confirm the numbers Opdenhoff gave twice. She argued throughout cross-examinations and in her closing statement that Opdenhoff was mentally unstable during the incident and did not realize what he was doing or the consequences of his actions.

Lux initially tried to have yesterday's preliminary trial postponed until another judge could be found to try the case. She said Grine's previous employment with the State College police and his working relationship there with Ralston presented a conflict of interest.

However, Grine said he left the force prior to the Opdenhoff investigation and would not have a problem trying the case objectively.

Lux also said the charges of first- and third-degree murder should not apply to Opdenhoff because of his obvious mental illness. But Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar said Opdenhoff's mental state was not the issue during a preliminary hearing.

The commonwealth must only prove there is sufficient evidence to hold the defendant for trial on those charges, Gricar added. Grine ruled the prosecution had met this requirement.

Opdenhoff remains in Centre County Prison and is ineligible for bail. His next appearance at the courthouse will be for a pre-trial conference May 22.