Upper Dublin Man Proceeds To Trial In His Father's Killing After Being Found Competent

UPPER DUBLIN, PA — A local man who has been charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of his father back in late 2019 has reportedly been found competent to stand trial, with the case against him moving forward after the court ruled he is able to participate in his defense, according to court records and media reports.

Maximillian Han, 29, was arrested by Upper Dublin Township police two days before Christmas in 2019 and charged with killing his father, Jinham, 58, during a violent beating.

Patch previously reported on the case, in which it is being alleged that the young man was mad with his father and said he "felt like an MMA fighter" when he punched the older man and used a knife handle to smash his skull, prosecutors previously stated.

Han's preliminary hearing and planned trial had been put on hold ever since his arrest for court-ordered competency and mental health evaluations, according to media reports.

In the early stages of the case, Han was found to be not competent enough to proceed to trial, according to the Mercury newspaper of Pottstown.

"During that time, they continued treatment and at some point he was found to be competent," Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Kathleen McLaughlin was quoted as saying in the Mercury.

Court records show that a preliminary hearing was finally held in the case at the Magisterial District Court level before Judge Patricia Zaffarano back in late December.

Following the hearing, the matter was transferred over to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, which is the state trial level court in Pennsylvania.

Han — who has since been transferred to the county prison since bail is not afforded to defendants in first-degree murder cases in Pennsylvania — had been scheduled for formal arraignment in Common Pleas Court on Feb. 11, records show.

Zaffarano had held Han for court on all charges against him during the December court proceeding. Those charges are two felonies — first-and-third-degree murder — as well as three misdemeanors — possessing an instrument of crime, tampering with evidence and theft by unlawful taking.

The Mercury newspaper reported that prosecutors would not be seeking the death penalty against Han.

If Han is convicted of first-degree murder he will face mandatory life imprisonment. If he is found guilty of third-degree murder, he could be sent to prison for between 20 to 40 years.

Patch previously reported that Han's mother found her husband bleeding from the head when she arrived home on the day of the killing. The man was pronounced dead at the scene when authorities arrived following the woman's 911 call.

A trial date in the case does not yet appear to have been scheduled.