A South Carolina inmate convicted of killing a state trooper more than 25 years ago cannot be executed due to a mental illness that has him believing he is immortal, a judge ruled. John Richard Wood, 59, lacks the ability to rationally communicate with his lawyers and does not have a rational and factual understanding of his crimes, why he is being punished or the nature of his punishment, Judge Grace Knie found, based on the opinions of three mental health experts, according to WSPA and the South Carolina Daily Gazette. A psychiatrist with the prosecution as well as a psychiatrist and a psychologist with Wood’s legal team all agreed that he failed this two-pronged legal standard for competence to be executed. With this ruling, the judge upheld his attorneys’ claim that the debilitating effects of his schizophrenia prevent him from facing the death penalty at this time. Knie’s ruling must be reviewed by the state Supreme Court, which could determine whether to uphold or overturn her decision.…