New doctor's report finds 2019 homicide suspect competent to stand trial

GREENFIELD, Wis. (CBS58) — A Greenfield man charged with first-degree homicide in 2019 was never convicted after a doctor found him incompetent to stand trial. However, a new doctor's report was ordered after police discovered Amando Lang living in Greenfield with few restrictions.

The doctor, per a report filed on July 14, found that Lang is mentally competent.

This comes after a random and deadly attack on 49-year-old Ben Christianson back in 2019, where Lang reportedly cut his throat. Following the brutal murder, Lang was sent to a mental health facility under civil commitment.

But last month, Greenfield police responded to a mental health crisis call for a man who was having an adverse reaction to a medication. That turned out to be Lang.

Court records showed that lang was sent to a mental health institute, where officials had believed he was for years. But Lang had been released without notifying the police, the district attorney's office, or city leaders.

He now lives in what's been described as a halfway house, where he can come and go as long as he takes his medication. Milwaukee County Supervisor Kathleen Vincent said, "I don’t think anyone could imagine that somebody charged with something so serious could be walking amongst the public. I think the justice system is working; I wish it could work faster. Public safety is our number one concern."

The county's behavioral health services division owned up to the mistake of improper notification, and now steps are being taken to stop this from happening in the future. This includes longer notification periods the next time someone is set to be moved, and revised mandatory training on the communication policy.

"It's nice that justice seems to be back on track... We remain hopeful that justice will finally be served after quite a significant detour that nobody was aware of," said City of Greenfield Mayor Michael Neitzke.

In court Tuesday, Judge David Swanson conceded more time for the defense to read the doctor's report, which he described as "lengthy".

Deputy District Attorney Sara Sadowski had said previously that if Lang were deemed competent, officials would pursue criminal charges for Christianson's death. As of Tuesday afternoon, that hasn't happened yet.

Lang's next day in court will be next Tuesday, July 22, for a return of a doctor's report.