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NEWS > U.S.A. > ESCAPED INSANE KILLER ENJOYING HIS TIME ON THE OUTSIDE
ESCAPED INSANE KILLER ENJOYING HIS TIME ON THE OUTSIDE
September 20 2009
Spokane, WA – The criminal justice system has often drawn a very difficult and controversial line between the sane and insane. Because murder in particular is such an aberration for many people the general consensus is that people who commit such
acts often suffer from some sort of mental deficiency. Because, though, many perceive criminal insanity as an out which results in more lenient punishment such a defence often comes under fire from critics and the families of victims alike.
That controversy no doubt erupted in the case of Phillip Paul who was imprisoned for the 1987 murder of Ruth Motley. A paranoid schizophrenic, Paul has spent the last twenty years in a psychiatric hospital where he has been described alternatively as a savant and as a truly terrifying individual. Now Paul, 47, is free after escaping during a field trip to a county fair and roaming the wilds of
Spokane County. Though police officials expect to eventually recapture the criminally insane murderer he has apparently been in touch with family members and let them know that he is enjoying his time on the outside after so many years of incarceration and plans to stay out as long as humanly possible.
“From what he told me things are just great for him right now. He wouldn’t tell me where he is but he said it’s very beautiful and that he is so relieved to get out into nature. Phillip has always loved the outdoors. As a kid we used to play outside from dawn until dusk and so all these years of imprisonment has understandably been
very difficult on him,” said Paul’s brother, Tom. “He’s been spending time in nature, living off the land, and feeling like a free man for the first time in many years. It’s redeeming in a lot of ways for him and being out there are free, well it just makes him feel alive in ways that he hasn’t felt in many years and I am very happy for him.”
Police have questioned Paul regarding her conversations with his brother, intent on bring the potentially dangerous killer back into the fold.
“One of the most damning and harmful aspects of life inside prison, whether it’s a regular prison or a mental health facility, is the lack of freedom it affords a person. In a lot of ways imprisonment can actually do more damage to an individual than has already been done to them. In the case of criminally ill persons it’s likely to further damage their fragile psyche,” said Scrape TV Psychology analyst Dr. Sarah Welp. “The real issue with the criminally insane is that they have not chosen the actions that have put them in this
position and so quite often they are as much victims as their victims are. Paul being free is undoubtedly very much a sort of redemption for him and could serve as an inspiration for the criminally insane across the United States.”
Paul had previously escaped, for a brief time, in 1991. According to family and friends he spoke of those days very fondly and wanted very much to return to them.
“It’s very clear too that many in the medical field believe this is the best thing for these kinds of patients. There’s really no reason that a criminally insane murderer with a history of escape attempts would have been brought out on a day pass to attend a state fair. Both the imprisoned and the jailers recognize the desire to be free,” continued Welp. “There is something inherent in the human condition that seeks redemption and freedom no matter what side of the debate one is on. Though that is difficult to attain for most people it is the drive and desire that makes it important, and ultimately helps makes us human.”
Paul is expected to remain physically free for a few days yet. It’s not clear how his soul will be affected should his body be imprisoned once again.
Mike Michaels, American Correspondent
NEWS > U.S.A. > ESCAPED INSANE KILLER ENJOYING HIS TIME ON THE OUTSIDE
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