Kalvin Clark who is charged with killing his 73-year-old grandmother, could be returning to Schuylkill County Prison soon.

Common Pleas Judge Jacqueline Russell ordered that defense counsel notify the court and the state of his status and expected date he will return to prison. Clark is hospitalized in Norristown, according to the Sept. 13 order. Once notified, an updated competency evaluation will be ordered.

A docket lists a preliminary hearing date of Dec. 16.

State police filed homicide charges in February alleging he killed Sharon Zimmerman at their home in January.

He faces first- and third-degree murder charges, aggravated assault, strangulation, reckless endangering another person and simple assault.

Her body was discovered at 89 N. Tulpehocken St. in Pine Grove when someone called the Schuylkill County Communications Center saying she had fallen and had cuts. Schuylkill EMS responded and found her dead.

Police said Zimmerman had “significant bruising and redness from the right side of her neck around to the left side,” scratches, a deep laceration on the right side of her mouth and a scratch on the left. All are consistent with being strangled, which is what a pathologist ruled the cause of death was.

Clark also faces other charges in two other instances unrelated to the homicide charges. Police filed charges Feb. 10 of aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment for an incident Oct. 7 involving his girlfriend at a West Laurel Street address in Tremont, where they got into an argument. The victim believed Clark had ingested methamphetamine, which was making him act irrationally. He accused her of cheating on him, then later put her in a chokehold from which she was able to break free, falling face down on a mattress.

Clark then “leaned forward toward her and bit her left ear off,” documents state. He drove her to the hospital with part of the ear in his pocket. Her ear required surgery, is now “severely deformed” and most of it is missing, police said.

In a related incident, Clark was charged with criminal trespass, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct for his Oct. 7 actions at Lehigh Valley Hospital-East Norwegian Street.

Police say Clark refused to leave several times, chased hospital employees around the parking garage and resisted arrest.