GREENFIELD — A judge has ordered a new competency evaluation for a 24-year-old man who was charged in 2019 with allegedly stabbing and killing a man and was recently discovered to be living freely in a group home.
Amando Lang appeared in court Monday after prosecutors discovered he was back in the community and free to come and go as he pleased.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family of man murdered in stabbing 'blindsided' after alleged killer is released
Lang was charged in 2019 for allegedly stabbing 49-year-old Ben Christianson in the neck in what authorities described as an unprovoked attack. The case never went to trial because a judge ruled Lang was mentally incompetent.
During Monday’s emergency hearing, the judge acknowledged community concerns about how the case has been handled. The court noted that an undisclosed agency that decided to release Lang from an inpatient facility failed to notify the district attorney’s office as required by state law.
WATCH: TMJ4’s Ben Jordan questions Amando Lang outside Greenfield courtroom
The court proceeded with the district attorney’s request to have Lang’s competency re-evaluated by a doctor. After the 15-minute hearing, Lang left the courtroom with his attorney.
When TMJ4's Ben Jordan approached Lang in the hallway, asking, “Some people feel like it’s a danger to have you out in the community. What’s your response to that?” he did not respond.
“It’s shocking that he’s been out. He admitted to murdering an individual, sadly. And that he’s roaming the streets is beyond comprehension, and very frustrating to me,” said Rep. Bob Donovan of Greenfield.
READ ALSO: Greenfield officials outraged after man accused of brutal 2019 killing allowed back in community
Lang is due back in court for the competency evaluation in two weeks. If he’s deemed competent, the state could move forward with the first-degree intentional homicide charge.
Watch: Judge orders competency re-evaluation for man accused in brutal 2019 killing
The district attorney’s office says if the doctor determines Lang remains mentally incompetent, he will stay in the community for treatment.
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