Posted on 06/23/2003 1:27:28 AM PDT by chance33_98
Man released to facility missing
Found legally insane in 1997 after trying to gouge out girlfriend's eyes
By MIKE GLENN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
A Houston man who was found legally insane in 1997 after trying to gouge out his girlfriend's eyes with a steak knife is missing from the San Antonio facility he was placed in following his court-ordered release from the Kerrville State Hospital on Friday.
Authorities are trying to track down Nathan Dale Campbell, 29, who had agreed to abide by the stiff rules state District Judge Debbie Mantooth Stricklin set down last month when she authorized his transfer to an outpatient live-in facility. They included staying away from the victim and her family and attending mandatory therapy for drug abuse and anger management.
Doctors had said Campbell, who suffers from bipolar disorder, was ready to go to an outpatient facility because he meets the criteria for such care set by state law.
By Sunday he was missing, however, and Campbell now may be somewhere with his mother, officials said.
"I thought everything had been handled. I am deeply concerned. I don't know what is going on," said Jan West, whose daughter, Kristen, was attacked by Campbell in July 1996 after she refused his marriage proposal.
After several surgeries, doctors were able to save one of West's eyes, although her vision remains impaired.
While West's family members opposed Campbell's release from the state hospital, they received some comfort in knowing that he would be in a monitored live-in facility in another city.
"That was about the only defense we had," Jan West said.
Campbell was dropped off at the San Antonio boarding house after his release, apparently by a state worker. The owner said she was given no information, however, about his past legal troubles or psychiatric history.
"They didn't say what he had done," said Lucille Gleason.
A disabled woman who can take in only a handful of boarders at a time, Gleason said she is unable to provide living quarters for people who need the kind of stringent monitoring Campbell required under Stricklin's court order.
"I was a nurse. Now, I can't do it," Gleason said. "I especially can't take care of any psychiatric patients by myself."
Soon after Campbell's arrival, West called Gleason to check on the man who drove a steak knife into her daughter's eyes seven years ago. Although the person supervising Campbell's live-in facility should have been familiar with the details of his case, West said Gleason seemed puzzled during the call.
"She said, `Why are you asking and who are you?' I proceeded to tell her that (Campbell) had been released from the state" mental hospital, West said. "This was no `director of a facility.' It was a little old lady renting out rooms."
Gleason said Campbell appeared "quiet and very nice" in the short time he was in her home, but she added that she immediately contacted his caseworker after learning of the brutal attack.
"It made me call and say, `Get him out of here,' " she said.
Campbell should not have been released to Gleason's boarding house, a Harris County prosecutor assigned to the case said Sunday.
"This is not at all what I had anticipated in the judge's orders," Colleen Barnett said. "We had thought it clear that Kerrville would release (Campbell) to an outpatient facility that would have some supervisory system to watch him."
Barnett said weekend Kerrville hospital workers would not provide any information about Campbell. She also contacted his mother, Eva Williamson, who initially denied any knowledge of his location.
"She finally admitted that (he) was, in fact, with her. But, she wouldn't tell me where they were," Barnett said. "She told me that Kerrville didn't want him. She refused to tell me what her plans were."
Williamson could not be reached for comment Sunday.
Stricklin also could not be reached for comment. Barnett said Stricklin wasn't in Houston on Sunday, but it was clear the judge's order releasing Campbell from the hospital had been violated.
"This is not anything that we thought would happen," Barnett said.
Crime victims advocate Dianne Clements said she was disturbed by the decision to release Campbell to a clearly inappropriate facility.
"He is under a court order to comply and to be in an appropriate medical board and care facility -- not just `rooms for rent,' " Clements said. "You would never anticipate or expect something this muddled to happen. It was one huge bureaucratic bungle."
Amen to that. In fact, I'd be "baiting him in" at this very moment.
As long as the justice system continues to show such arrogant contempt for the victims of violent criminals, they should expect more and more people to take justice into their own hands.
AP story via The Dallas Morning News:
Man who sliced girlfriend's eyes missing from facility06/23/2003
HOUSTON - Law officers are trying to find a man who was found to be legally insane when he sliced his girlfriend's eyes, then placed in court-ordered release from a state hospital to a Central Texas boarding house where he then disappeared.
Nathan Dale Campbell had agreed to abide by rules state District Judge Debbie Mantooth Stricklin set down last month when she authorized his transfer to an outpatient live-in facility in San Antonio.
Campbell, 29, of Houston was ordered to stay away from the victim and her family and attend mandatory therapy for drug abuse and anger management. But he was discovered missing Sunday and may be somewhere with his mother, officials said.
"I thought everything had been handled. I am deeply concerned," the victim's mother, Jan West, told the Houston Chronicle in Monday's online edition. "I don't know what is going on."
West's daughter Kristen was attacked by Campbell in July 1996 after she refused his marriage proposal. He drove a steak knife into her eyes. Doctors were able to save one of West's eyes after several surgeries, although her vision remains impaired.
The victim's relatives, who had opposed Campbell's release Friday from the state hospital, said they got some comfort in knowing that he would be in a monitored live-in facility in another city.
"That was about the only defense we had," said West's mother.
The owner of the San Antonio boarding house where Campbell was dropped off after his release said she received no information about his past legal troubles or psychiatric history.
"They didn't say what he had done," said Lucille Gleason.
Gleason, a disabled woman who takes in only small numbers of boarders, said she is unable to provide living quarters for people who need the kind of stringent monitoring Campbell required under Stricklin's court order.
"I especially can't take care of any psychiatric patients by myself," Gleason said.
The victim's mother, who called Gleason soon after Campbell's arrival to check up on him, was surprised to find the boarding house owner didn't know of his background. She said the supervisor of Campbell's live-in facility should have been familiar with the details of his case.
"She said, 'Why are you asking and who are you?' I proceeded to tell her that (Campbell) had been released from the state" mental hospital, said West. "This was no 'director of a facility.' It was a little old lady renting out rooms."
A Harris County prosecutor assigned to the case said Sunday that Campbell should not have been released to Gleason's boarding house.
"This is not at all what I had anticipated in the judge's orders," said Colleen Barnett. "We had thought it clear that Kerrville would release (Campbell) to an outpatient facility that would have some supervisory system to watch him."
Gleason said she immediately contacted his caseworker after learning of the brutal attack.
"It made me call and say, 'Get him out of here,' " she said.
However, Gleason said Campbell appeared "quiet and very nice" in the short time he was in her home.
Barnett said Campbell's mother, Eva Williamson, initially denied any knowledge of his location.
"She finally admitted that (he) was, in fact, with her. But, she wouldn't tell me where they were," said Barnett. "She told me that Kerrville didn't want him. She refused to tell me what her plans were."
Campbell, who suffers from bipolar disorder, was ordered released on Friday from the Kerrville State Hospital. He was ready to go to an outpatient facility because he meets the criteria for such care set by state law, doctors said.
Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/tsw/stories/062303dntexmissing.92810.html
My old friend jimmy's brother was killed by some guy (probably a bad drug deal, his whole family was in the trade). Jimmy burned the guy's house down and then ran him down. Pled guilty and did 6 years.
I am not recommending such actions - but if someone tried something similar to my daughter, I would be willing to do a few years if need be to wipe the scum off the earth...
I wish I could do the screen shots. I need to learn how, I guess.
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