The court case for the Toledo man accused of violently murdering two Winlock residents in February has been put on hold pending a mental competency evaluation.

Robert Eugene Chandler, 35, from the Toledo area, was charged Monday, March 10, in Lewis County Superior Court with two counts of first-degree aggravated murder.

A Lewis County Superior Court judge signed an order Friday, March 14, finding “that there is a genuine doubt as to the defendant’s competency based on the facts provided by counsel, judicial colloquy, and/or direct observation.”

The evaluation was requested via a joint motion from the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office and defense attorney Don Blair, according to court documents, which noted the parties had “reason to doubt the defendant’s competency based on sufficient facts and that as a result of mental disease or defect, the defendant may lack the capacity to understand the proceedings against them or to assist in their own defense.”

As a result of the order, an evaluator from the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) will conduct a mental competency evaluation of Chandler at the Lewis County Jail to determine whether or not he is able to understand his court proceedings and participate in his own defense.

If the evaluator finds that he is not able to do either of those things, his case will remain on hold indefinitely as Chandler undergoes mental health treatment at a secure DSHS facility to address the competency concerns.

Once the evaluator finds that Chandler is competent, he will be transferred back to the Lewis County Jail and his case will proceed.

While Chandler’s case is formally on a discretionary hold at least until the initial evaluation is complete, his case was still listed Wednesday on the Lewis County Superior Court criminal calendar for an arraignment hearing at 8:40 a.m. on Thursday, March 20.

A note on the hearing notice filed with his case states this hearing is for attorney review.

A separate review hearing to check on the status of the competency evaluation is scheduled for 8:40 a.m. on April 3.

Based on a judge’s ruling during a March 10 preliminary hearing, Chandler will remain in custody on a no-bail hold until his case is resolved.

He was arrested March 5 on an unrelated Department of Corrections violation and has been in custody at the Lewis County Jail since that date, according to previous Chronicle reporting.

Chandler faces two counts of first-degree aggravated murder for allegedly murdering Kimberly R. Torres, 51, and Donald J. Piccolo, 61, at their residence in the 400 block of Byham Road in Winlock with a pair of swords on Feb. 4 after he was dropped off at the home to shower, as he did there several times a week.

Their bodies were found after a citizen requested a welfare check on Feb. 25, according to previous Chronicle reporting.

Witnesses reported that Chandler was seen “acting strangely” between Feb. 7 and Feb. 27, with one witness reporting Chandler was “talking to people who were not there, yelling and throwing items” and “whipping his shirt and backpack onto a rock” along the Cowlitz River on Feb. 7.  Another witness reported Chandler “acting violently” and spending “multiple hours yelling at trees” on Feb. 27.

“Several people noted that Chandler would huff gas canisters and would become violent after doing so,” according to court documents.

Chandler’s felony history includes a 2021 conviction for attempted residential burglary, domestic violence; convictions for third-degree assault from 2021 and 2009; a 2020 conviction for escape from community custody; and a 2009 conviction for second-degree malicious mischief.

Misdemeanor convictions on his record include a 2024 domestic violence protection order violation, a 2024 trespassing conviction, a 2020 harassment conviction, and multiple convictions for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and fourth-degree assault between 2008 and 2021.