MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. -- Criminally insane killer Phillip Paul, who escaped from state custody last month, called KREM 2 News from Eastern State Hospital Monday night.
He said he wanted to clear the air about why he took off from an Eastern State Hospital field trip to the Spokane County Interstate Fair in September.
The entire fiasco led to a four day manhunt costing Spokane County Sheriff’s department more than $37,000. Paul is now back at Eastern State Hospital.
Paul called KREM 2 News to say he was sorry for walking away and for everything that his escape has caused and he says he won’t do it again.
He said he’s been waiting to leave for years and just kind of walked away.
Paul said the escape wasn’t planned, although he wanted to run away from Eastern State Hospital. At the fair, he noticed no one was watching him and simply left.
He said he sincerely apologized to the patients and staff for his walk away. Paul talked about everything, from his escape to his mental illness. He admitted he got someone to drive him to Goldendale, Wash., where he got his supplies. When he was arrested, Paul had a sickle, but says he was only using it to protect against mountain lions.
As for his schizophrenia - the reason he murdered a woman in Yakima in 1987 - Paul says that’s over. The hospital says the fact Paul thinks he no longer is schizophrenic is a problem.
A Yakima County judge said Paul was in denial over his mental illness. Paul thought his medications were poisoning him. Paul said when he was brought back to Eastern, security was very tight, but since then it has been relaxed a little. He has phone privileges again and can go watch TV.
It is the same thing that happened the last time he escaped. Paul said people shouldn’t be worried that he is dangerous, adding he just wants his freedom and didn’t want to hurt anybody and never did.
He said he wants to be out of Eastern but will not try and escape a third time.
