Local Lawmakers Speak Out On Escapee Case

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Story Published: Sep 21, 2009 at 5:58 PM PDT

By Peter Bukowski

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YAKIMA -- "It leaves questions in your mind as to how can you take people out on a field trip, particularly those are there for a reason. For example; Mr. Paul murdered a prominent lady, and not having more closely supervised," says Washington State Representative, Norm Johnson.

Johnson knew Ruth Mottley, the woman Phillip Paul killed in cold blood. Johnson has his own thoughts about what the state should do after Paul escaped from institutionalized care.

"My first instinct was well you cut this out, but is that fair to everybody? I think we need to take a look at whose going, where they're going, and how well supervised they are."

For now at least, we know no more criminally insane patients will be headed to the fair. That's because Susan Dreyfus has frozen all of these field trips until the Paul case has been investigated.

Dreyfus has only been the head of the Department of Social and Health Services for just over two months. She's already having to take a close look at how her department works, and how this could happen.

"Those are very serious concerns that I have, and those are the kinds of things we'll be asking in our investigation. All the questions that are being raised are legitimate and need answers," offered Dreyfus.

Johnson says that investigation will weigh heavily on what the state does when they reconvene in January.

"She's the one who needs to first take a look and decide and let us see what it is she intends to do before we go in and jump into the fray and start making laws"

Luckily, for now those decisions can be made with a killer back in custody.

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