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March 19, 2025The Toledo man accused of the horrific murders of two Winlock residents with swords last month has had his court case put on hold pending a mental competency evaluation.
35-year-old Robert Chandler was charged on March 10th with two counts of first-degree aggravated murder.
The Chronicle reports that his arraignment hearing, originally scheduled for tomorrow morning, has been delayed after a judge signed an order last Friday stating, “there is a genuine doubt as to the defendant’s competency based on the facts provided by counsel, judicial colloquy, and/or direct observation.”
As a result, an evaluator from the state Department of Social and Health Services will conduct a mental competency evaluation of Chandler at the Lewis County Jail to determine whether or not he is able to understand the court proceedings and participate in his own defense.
If the evaluator determines that he is unable to do either of these things, his case will remain on hold indefinitely while Chandler undergoes mental health treatment to address the competency concerns.
