Man accused in sword-wielding slaying deemed competent

A court declared a Watertown man accused of killing another man with a sword has “regained competency.”

Young Choi, 30, was arrested last July for allegedly stabbing his neighbor, 27-year-old Dustin Vanderheyden, in the abdomen and partially scalping him the previous month. Vanderheyden died hours later in surgery.

In October, Choi’s doctor testified he believed Choi was incompetent to face trial and court proceedings were temporarily suspended.

At a competency hearing Friday in Jefferson County, the court acknowledged Choi had regained competency and was properly medicated.

Choi, who has been housed at Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison according to online records, will be moved to the county jail.