By Shereen Siewert
The suspect accused of fatally stabbing a Wausau native in a random knife attack has been found not competent to stand trial.
Ben Christianson, a 1988 Wausau East High School graduate who grew up on Wausau’s southeast side, was killed Aug. 27, 2019 while collecting soil samples in Greenfield as an employee of Ramaker & Associates. Christianson’s parents, Don and Jane, are well-known retired educators in the Wausau School District.
Amando Lang, a 20-year-old Greenfield man, faces intentional homicide charges in Christianson’s death, which followed months of violent behavior and potential mental health issues observed by neighbors and family members,” the Journal/Sentinel reports.
Lang’s case is now suspended after a hearing this month in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, during which a judge reviewed reports by doctors. Ultimately, Circuit Judge David Borowski found Lang not competent and unlikely to regain competency.
Borowski then converted the proceedings to a civil commitment without an objection from counsel and Lang was ordered to remain in custody at Mendota Mental Health under a chapter 51 commitment, though the length of his commitment is unclear at this time. He has been held at Mendota since October.
Ben Christianson attended John Marshall Elementary and John Muir Middle Schools in Wausau before moving on to high school. After graduating from Wausau East Ben continued his education the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a degree in hydrogeology. He was 49 at the time of his death.
