Insane killer escapes on trip to county fair
Officials in Washington state suspect he'll go to parents' town
SPOKANE, Wash. - Authorities have put out a statewide alert for a mentally ill killer who escaped during a hospital field trip to a county fair, leading to fears that he'll become more unstable and potentially dangerous the longer he is on the loose with no medication.
Sgt. Dave Reagan of the Spokane County sheriff's office says Phillip Arnold Paul remained at large Friday and officials believe he's headed to Sunnyside, the town where his parents live. Reagan said anyone spotting him should call 911 and not try to confront him.
Paul was committed after he was acquitted by reason of insanity in the 1987 slaying of an elderly woman in Sunnyside. He soaked the woman's body in gasoline to throw off search dogs and buried the remains in her flower garden. He reportedly said voices in his head told him she was a witch.
He was caught trying to escape four years later, and later knocked a deputy unconscious in the booking area following his detention.
The 57-year-old Paul escaped Thursday during a supervised outing to the Spokane County Interstate Fair for patients from Eastern State Hospital. Thirty-one patients were on the trip with 11 staff members.
Local officials and fairgoers said they were stunned that mental patients, including at least one with a violent criminal past, would be taken to the fair.
"I think it's wrong, it's totally wrong," said Jennifer Craig, who was visiting the fair with her husband and grandchildren. "You're putting too many kids and old disabled people like me at risk."
Teams clear patients for field trips
Patients must be cleared by a treatment team of six to 12 clinicians, according to an extensive checklist before they can go on field trips to stores, parks, ball games, fairs and other sites, hospital spokesman Jim Stevenson said. They wear street clothing and need not all stay together, but staff members are required to keep each patient within eyesight at all times.
"They have gone to the county fair in past years," said Stevenson.
Hospital CEO Harold Wilson told The Spokesman-Review Paul had been "a fairly model patient."
The escape led state Department of Social and Health Services Secretary Susan Dreyfus to order an indefinite halt to all outings involving criminally committed patients at the state's three mental institutions.
Dreyfus also instructed Eastern State to review the policy on patient outings and a plan to prevent similar problems.
Lawmaker: Security 'inept'
"It's outrageous that security was so inept that a guy who's officially regarded as criminally insane was able to just slip away from the group," state Rep. Matt Shea of Spokane Valley told The Spokesman-Review.
In Paul's 1991 escape, he walked away from custody during a day trip was captured at the western Spokane County line. He attacked a sheriff's deputy in the jail booking area, knocking him unconscious and separating his shoulder, and was convicted of first-degree escape and second-degree assault.
Hospital officials told authorities that Paul hadn't exhibited violent behavior in years. They argued in the past that he should be released, but his petition for release was rejected in 2003.
He was described as 5-foot-8 and 207 pounds with brown hair and a goatee, was wearing blue jeans and a red windbreaker over a blue T-shirt.
Insane killer escapes on trip to fair - Crime & courts- msnbc.com
Why are we taking an insane killer to the county fair?
Why are we taking an insane killer to the county fair?
Rapunzel;1243665 wrote: Insane killer escapes on trip to county fair
Officials in Washington state suspect he'll go to parents' town
SPOKANE, Wash. - Authorities have put out a statewide alert for a mentally ill killer who escaped during a hospital field trip to a county fair, leading to fears that he'll become more unstable and potentially dangerous the longer he is on the loose with no medication.
Sgt. Dave Reagan of the Spokane County sheriff's office says Phillip Arnold Paul remained at large Friday and officials believe he's headed to Sunnyside, the town where his parents live. Reagan said anyone spotting him should call 911 and not try to confront him.
Paul was committed after he was acquitted by reason of insanity in the 1987 slaying of an elderly woman in Sunnyside. He soaked the woman's body in gasoline to throw off search dogs and buried the remains in her flower garden. He reportedly said voices in his head told him she was a witch.
He was caught trying to escape four years later, and later knocked a deputy unconscious in the booking area following his detention.
The 57-year-old Paul escaped Thursday during a supervised outing to the Spokane County Interstate Fair for patients from Eastern State Hospital. Thirty-one patients were on the trip with 11 staff members.
Local officials and fairgoers said they were stunned that mental patients, including at least one with a violent criminal past, would be taken to the fair.
"I think it's wrong, it's totally wrong," said Jennifer Craig, who was visiting the fair with her husband and grandchildren. "You're putting too many kids and old disabled people like me at risk."
Teams clear patients for field trips
Patients must be cleared by a treatment team of six to 12 clinicians, according to an extensive checklist before they can go on field trips to stores, parks, ball games, fairs and other sites, hospital spokesman Jim Stevenson said. They wear street clothing and need not all stay together, but staff members are required to keep each patient within eyesight at all times.
"They have gone to the county fair in past years," said Stevenson.
Hospital CEO Harold Wilson told The Spokesman-Review Paul had been "a fairly model patient."
The escape led state Department of Social and Health Services Secretary Susan Dreyfus to order an indefinite halt to all outings involving criminally committed patients at the state's three mental institutions.
Dreyfus also instructed Eastern State to review the policy on patient outings and a plan to prevent similar problems.
Lawmaker: Security 'inept'
"It's outrageous that security was so inept that a guy who's officially regarded as criminally insane was able to just slip away from the group," state Rep. Matt Shea of Spokane Valley told The Spokesman-Review.
In Paul's 1991 escape, he walked away from custody during a day trip was captured at the western Spokane County line. He attacked a sheriff's deputy in the jail booking area, knocking him unconscious and separating his shoulder, and was convicted of first-degree escape and second-degree assault.
Hospital officials told authorities that Paul hadn't exhibited violent behavior in years. They argued in the past that he should be released, but his petition for release was rejected in 2003.
He was described as 5-foot-8 and 207 pounds with brown hair and a goatee, was wearing blue jeans and a red windbreaker over a blue T-shirt.
Insane killer escapes on trip to fair - Crime & courts- msnbc.com
Review the policy on these outings? They should've been reviewed the last time he escaped! Perhaps the ones who let him go on these outings should be the ones that are the patients there!
Officials in Washington state suspect he'll go to parents' town
SPOKANE, Wash. - Authorities have put out a statewide alert for a mentally ill killer who escaped during a hospital field trip to a county fair, leading to fears that he'll become more unstable and potentially dangerous the longer he is on the loose with no medication.
Sgt. Dave Reagan of the Spokane County sheriff's office says Phillip Arnold Paul remained at large Friday and officials believe he's headed to Sunnyside, the town where his parents live. Reagan said anyone spotting him should call 911 and not try to confront him.
Paul was committed after he was acquitted by reason of insanity in the 1987 slaying of an elderly woman in Sunnyside. He soaked the woman's body in gasoline to throw off search dogs and buried the remains in her flower garden. He reportedly said voices in his head told him she was a witch.
He was caught trying to escape four years later, and later knocked a deputy unconscious in the booking area following his detention.
The 57-year-old Paul escaped Thursday during a supervised outing to the Spokane County Interstate Fair for patients from Eastern State Hospital. Thirty-one patients were on the trip with 11 staff members.
Local officials and fairgoers said they were stunned that mental patients, including at least one with a violent criminal past, would be taken to the fair.
"I think it's wrong, it's totally wrong," said Jennifer Craig, who was visiting the fair with her husband and grandchildren. "You're putting too many kids and old disabled people like me at risk."
Teams clear patients for field trips
Patients must be cleared by a treatment team of six to 12 clinicians, according to an extensive checklist before they can go on field trips to stores, parks, ball games, fairs and other sites, hospital spokesman Jim Stevenson said. They wear street clothing and need not all stay together, but staff members are required to keep each patient within eyesight at all times.
"They have gone to the county fair in past years," said Stevenson.
Hospital CEO Harold Wilson told The Spokesman-Review Paul had been "a fairly model patient."
The escape led state Department of Social and Health Services Secretary Susan Dreyfus to order an indefinite halt to all outings involving criminally committed patients at the state's three mental institutions.
Dreyfus also instructed Eastern State to review the policy on patient outings and a plan to prevent similar problems.
Lawmaker: Security 'inept'
"It's outrageous that security was so inept that a guy who's officially regarded as criminally insane was able to just slip away from the group," state Rep. Matt Shea of Spokane Valley told The Spokesman-Review.
In Paul's 1991 escape, he walked away from custody during a day trip was captured at the western Spokane County line. He attacked a sheriff's deputy in the jail booking area, knocking him unconscious and separating his shoulder, and was convicted of first-degree escape and second-degree assault.
Hospital officials told authorities that Paul hadn't exhibited violent behavior in years. They argued in the past that he should be released, but his petition for release was rejected in 2003.
He was described as 5-foot-8 and 207 pounds with brown hair and a goatee, was wearing blue jeans and a red windbreaker over a blue T-shirt.
Insane killer escapes on trip to fair - Crime & courts- msnbc.com
Review the policy on these outings? They should've been reviewed the last time he escaped! Perhaps the ones who let him go on these outings should be the ones that are the patients there!
Why are we taking an insane killer to the county fair?
It's getting harder and harder to distinguish between staff and patients in some mental hospitals.
-
Patsy Warnick
- Posts: 4567
- Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 12:53 am
Why are we taking an insane killer to the county fair?
Why would officials allow this type of personality out in public..??
What a good boy outing...?
Hopefully he doesn't kill again before authorities get him on the bus for another field trip...:-5
Patsy
What a good boy outing...?
Hopefully he doesn't kill again before authorities get him on the bus for another field trip...:-5
Patsy
Why are we taking an insane killer to the county fair?
An insane killer who slipped away from the staff of a mental institution on a field trip Thursday to the Spokane County Interstate Fair was recaptured Sunday without injury more than 180 miles away in south-central Washington state.
FullStory
FullStory
Why are we taking an insane killer to the county fair?
Thank god he was caught not keep him locked up. :-5
ALOHA!!
MOTTO TO LIVE BY:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming.
WOO HOO!!, what a ride!!!"
MOTTO TO LIVE BY:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming.
WOO HOO!!, what a ride!!!"
Why are we taking an insane killer to the county fair?
Lots of insane people are walking around.
Theyre in the car next to you at a red light.
Theyre in front of you counting out pennies at the grocery store.
Theyre in Congress.
Theyre here at FG.
Theyre in the car next to you at a red light.
Theyre in front of you counting out pennies at the grocery store.
Theyre in Congress.
Theyre here at FG.
I AM AWESOME MAN
Why are we taking an insane killer to the county fair?
I knew that was you behind me at Walmart. 
[QUOTE]Theyre in front of you counting out pennies at the grocery store.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Theyre in front of you counting out pennies at the grocery store.[/QUOTE]
ALOHA!!
MOTTO TO LIVE BY:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming.
WOO HOO!!, what a ride!!!"
MOTTO TO LIVE BY:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming.
WOO HOO!!, what a ride!!!"