Rape added to murder and cannibalism charges against Indiana man

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Reuters) - A southern Indiana man who is facing a possible death penalty on charges that he killed his ex-girlfriend and ate part of her body has now been charged with raping her, an attorney representing the defendant said on Tuesday. The added charge against Joseph Oberhansley is intended to bolster the prosecution's case for the death penalty, attorney Mike McDaniel said. Oberhansley, 34, was charged last September in Clark County, Indiana, with breaking into the Jeffersonville home of his ex-girlfriend, Tammy Jo Blanton, murdering her and abusing her corpse by eating parts of it. He has pleaded not guilty. Jeffersonville is across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. McDaniel said Judge Vicki Carmichael approved the charge on Monday at the request of Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull. It was added, McDaniel said, because the other charges were not strong enough to warrant the death penalty. A trial is scheduled for August 2016, time needed to adequately prepare for a capital case, McDaniel said. His client is currently in solitary confinement and he is concerned about him staying in solitary that long, he said. (Reporting by Steve Bittenbender in Louisville, Kentucky, and David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Eric Beech)