A true story

[Charlene]

This sounds like the beginning of a horror movie, but it just happened about 2 hours ago: http://www.kxly.com/Global/story.asp?S=11151340

[Nanohedron]

Oops.

[Pammy]

He looks friendly enough. I would talk to him:):)

[Denny]

"criminally insane with an history of escape and assault"
"on a field trip"
"disappeared"

[Nanohedron]

Epic fail.

[dwest]

Wow! Neat!

Paul could attend Spokane Community College during the day

[mutepointe]

I only read that brief newspaper story. There is a whole lot more to this story than can be filled in those packets. A label of "criminally insane" sure does worry a person who doesn't have all the facts. Seeing as how he hasn't killed anyone since 1987 and is allowed unsupervised activities, he's probably not an extreme risk if he's receiving and taking his medications and if he's receiving the necessary supports. I work with folks who have been institutionalized. Some of them have been given rather dangerous sounding labels for some assaultive acts. I've never worked with someone who was labeled "criminally insane" but I have found that when most folks are finally treated like human beings and have the necessary treatment, they thrive. It's a bummer that once a person gets a label, they keep that label forever.

[dwest]

Hard to take your meds when you're on the run.

[Pammy]

Hard to take your meds when you're on the run.

Exactly!

And while he has been in the 'institution' he won't have had the same opportunity to commit a crime.
"Assaultive acts" are one thing, murder is rather another I'd say.
Well, given the choice I'd rather be assaulted than murdered

I wouldn't want to live within 10,000 miles of him!! tables or no tablets

[Redwolf]

What bothers me the most here is that it took the attendents so long to call the cops. Whether the guy is a danger or not (and the longer he's without his meds, the more likely that becomes), he's in their custody. If I took a group of schoolchildren to the fair, lost one, and didn't bother to report it for over an hour, the press (not to mention my boss) would be all over my butt, and rightly so.

With most schizophrenics, the biggest danger they pose is to themselves. But when you have someone whose voices tell him to hurt people (there may have been only one murder, but it sounds like "assaults" were rather more common), he IS a danger to others, unless he can be kept well-regulated on medications. Whether it seemed to someone to make sense to take him to the fair or not, authorities should have been notified immediately when they lost track of him.

Redwolf

[Charlene]

According to the 10 pm news, authorities think Mr. Paul is headed for his family in Sunnyside, Washington.

His former attorney who is also a friend says he's fine if he's on his medication, but Mr. Paul feels his medication makes him weak. The attorney is reported as stating that Mr. Paul enjoys wood carving. (Does this scare anyone else?)

The news reported that there were 31 patients in the group, and 11 caregivers. I don't know if that's considered a safe ratio of attendants to patients or not. I haven't heard what kind of mental problems the rest of the group has. DSHS is looking into the matter.

Authorities believe he was missing for about 2 hours before the police were called.

[Innocent Bystander]

A criminally insane killer who strangled a woman because voices told him she was a witch

Maybe if he met one or two witches he might feel less aggressive towards them. Did anybody try that, eh? eh?

[jim stone]

People who escape from prison more often than not go home.
The police go to their home and wait for them. Or the escapee
goes to his favorite bar and says: Hi fellas, I'm back. This fellow, merely 'criminally insane,'
is also going home.

Also violence tends to diminish drastically as folks get older. Big difference tween
25 and 47. Bad situation, but probably not the beginning of a horror movie.

People like to have demons. 'Sexual predators' are seldom a problem after 50.
But some states try to institutionalize them by civil proceedings after
they get out of jail. Convicted murderers have a very low recidivism
rate--they are less likely than other offenders to commit another
crime if released from prison. But 'murderers' are often thought of
as kill-crazed monsters who want to kill again and again....

Caution, sure, but realism too.

[Denny]

A criminally insane killer who strangled a woman because voices told him she was a witch

Maybe if he met one or two witches he might feel less aggressive towards them. Did anybody try that, eh? eh?

I saw that movie!!!

[I.D.10-t]

With a history of escape and assault I think that it would have been prudent to keep better track of the individuals. If we can give Martha Stewart an ankle bracelet, why not flight risks? Two hours seem to be a long time, I have given science demonstrations to boy scouts, and if I misplaced them for that amount of time the consequences for me would have been bad.


That being said, I never trust the "news" to give the whole story. How about that CNN report about ten rounds being fired in DC last Sept. 11?