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Man held in killings of 2 Indiana women remains in hospital

CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) - A man accused of killing an elderly Indiana woman and her daughter is being evaluated at a state hospital to determine if he's competent to stand trial.

James Lohnes' attorney said at a Thursday hearing that the Crown Point man has been under observation for about a month at Logansport State Hospital.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports court-appointed doctors found him mentally incompetent earlier this year.

A Lake County judge in July ordered that Lohnes be held at a mental institution until he's determined to be competent to stand trial for the killings of 86-year-old Velia Taneff and her 63-year-old daughter, Lana Taneff.

The women were found strangled to death in January 2016 in their Lake County home.

Authorities say Lohnes had worked occasionally for the women as a handyman.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com

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