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Suspect in Murders Faces Reevaluation

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A man charged with murdering two Universal Studios guards while stalking actor Michael Landon may face a mental competency hearing as the result of a doctor’s preliminary finding that he is now able to stand trial, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Nathan N. Trupp, 42, was committed to the Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino in February after a judge ruled Trupp was mentally incompetent to stand trial for the Dec. 1 Universal City slayings.

But after several months of treatment at the hospital, doctors now say Trupp has regained his competency, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Sterling Norris.

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Norris said Trupp will be returned to the mental health division of the Superior Court, where another court-appointed psychiatrist will conduct a new evaluation of him.

A hearing will then be held at which a judge will issue a final ruling on Trupp’s mental competency.

If the judge agrees that Trupp has regained his competency, the prosecution of his case will resume.

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Prosecutors say Trupp, a former New Jersey mental patient, shot and killed Universal Studios security guards Jeren Beeks, 27, and Armando Torres, 18.

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