UPDATE: Magistrate judge orders suspected Appalachian Trail killer to remain in Southwest Virginia for mental exam

The suspected Appalachian Trail killer will remain in Southwest Virginia for an upcoming mental exam.

Documents from US District Court says James Jordan can undergo counseling and have other test administered at the regional jail facility in Abingdon instead of being transferred back to a medical prison unit in North Carolina.

Prosecutors wanted Jordan’s testing to take place at the federal holding center to preserve the government’s interest in a thorough test considering the seriousness of the charges.

The Massachusetts native was arrested last year after police said he killed an Oklahoma war veteran at his trail campsite and seriously injured another hiker.

(IMAGE: SuperTalk Archive)