ESCAPE: ‘Criminally insane’ killer escapes during field trip to Spokane fair

[Twitchin Kitten]

Can someone please tell me why they are taking the criminally insane on field trips to places loaded with people? It's also been noted this has happened before with (i think) the same hospital.
And just so you know, his meds are wearing off about now and he's going to be completely batshit crazy.
Fox News broke this story and others are carrying it too. The article below is from a local paper it seems but I'll include other links at the end for you too.

ESCAPE: ‘Criminally insane’ killer escapes during field trip to Spokane fair
By The Spokesman-Review

Spokane Police are looking for Phillip Arnold Paul, 47, after he walked away from an Eastern State Hospital field trip at Spokane County Interstate Fair today. He is considered dangerous.

A “criminally insane” patient committed to Eastern State Hospital in a murder case is at large at the Spokane County Interstate Fair, after slipping away from a group outing this afternoon, officials said.

Officers are combing the fairgrounds in search of Phillip Arnold Paul, 47, said Sgt. Dave Reagan, spokesman for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department. He was last seen in the northeast area of the fairgrounds.

Paul was committed to Eastern State in a murder case and is considered potentially violent, Reagan said.

“If anyone has any information about his whereabouts, they are encouraged to call 911,” Reagan said. “We consider this an emergency.”

Reagan had no information about the murder case, but said Paul had a criminal history in Spokane County of assault and escape.

According to Spokesman-Review archives, Paul slashed the throat of an elderly woman in Sunnyside, Wash., in 1987, soaked her body in gasoline to throw off search dogs and then buried the remains in the victim’s flower garden.

He was found not guilty by reason of insanity but committed to Eastern State for up to life, the articles say.

He walked away from Eastern State keepers in 1990 and viciously attacked a sheriff’s deputy who apprehended him, according to the previous articles.

Paul and several other Eastern patients were taken to the fair today on a field trip, Reagan said. Calls to the hospital and the fairgrounds administration were not immediately returned.

“We’re flooding the place with police right now,” Reagan said at around 1:45 p.m.

Paul is white, 5-foot-8 and 207 pounds, with brown hair and a goatee. He was wearing a red windbreaker over a blue T-shirt, and blue jeans.

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I find it amazing that CNN is not running this story. But they do have a story for Talk Like A Pirate Day! Now that's important world news.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/se...s-escapee/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,5517...latestnews

[LKTraz]

Washington is a decidedly blue state and as such is very into being touchy feely with the criminals in an effort to get them to see the errors of their ways and "reform" them.

It states that this same guy escaped before. (See above for relevant explanation)

They're "combing the fairgrounds". This is smoke and mirrors speak for: He could be ANYWHERE and most likely is NOT on the property any more but we don't want to "panic" the public.

Jesus H Fucking Christ people......go over to neighboring Idaho and get some of those militia boys that live there on the case. Those fuckers would probably track him down in no time flat. Especially if they let them shoot him with rubber bullets and shit (target practice on a REAL LIVE HOOMAN BEAN!).

The people running that hospital need to be fired since they're obviously incompetent!!!!!

[Pickles]

they found him 4 days later on the opposite side of the state. Luckily he didn't harm anyone.

[Twitchin Kitten]

Are you sure it was only 4 days later? I remember them saying how he still hadn't been found toward the end of that week. I could be mistaken though.

Funny how they don't report how they found him but only concentrated on the more horrible aspect of this guy getting and being loose. Oh and let's not forget the irresponsibility of the hospital!

[Pickles]

yep they found him and he is now in a secure area. and the head of the hospital resigned.

[LKTraz]

IMO the rest of the staff responsible for this debacle should either be asked to resign or get the boot.