Another "Good Behavior" Release Failure

[WildCat]

Here's the story: (http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/121103_ns_hammondbodies.html)
December 11, 2003 (Hammond) — A convicted killer admitted to police that he strangled an Indiana teenager and buried him in his Hammond house. David Maust has been charged in the murder of James Ranganyi, 16. Two other bodies, identified as 13-year-old Michael Dennis and 19-year-old Nick James, were also found at 4933 Ash Avenue.

Maust killed an Illinois teenager more than 20 years ago. In 1981, he was accused of killing a 15-year-old boy near Elgin. He fled to Texas, where he was arrested in a different case for stabbing another boy, whom he seriously injured. In 1982, Maust was returned to Illinois to face charges in the Illinois murder. He pled guilty in 1994 and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. He was set free five-years later for good behavior.
What the f#$k? This is unbelievable. There's people in prison for drug possession doing more time than he did. 5 years for murder, and he stabbed another kid while on the lamm?

And if registration is good for sex offenders, why not killers for cryin' out loud?

And I'm assuming that one of those dates is a typo, if it's not there was no plea for 12 years on the murder?

[Ladewig]

During the 12 years, more than once he was declared unfit to stand trial and was sent to a psychiatric institution. The rest of the time he was incarcerated waiting trial. One of the reasons he got out only 5 years into a 35-year sentence is that the criminal justice system reduced his sentence by the time served waiting trial.

From what I've heard of his mental condition, even if he did all 35 years, he probably would have killed someone within a year of getting out.

It is sad that he wasn't caught immediately after the first Indiana murder.

[reprise]

I can't help wondering why this individual was ever sent back from the psychiatric care system to the criminal justice system, and I only hope that whoever made that decision can be held accountable in some way.

[The Fool]

Originally posted by reprise
I can't help wondering why this individual was ever sent back from the psychiatric care system to the criminal justice system, and I only hope that whoever made that decision can be held accountable in some way.
Unfortunately, the Criminal Justice system is the defacto psychiatric care system in a lot of places.

[Zep]

I agree - this is one person who needs permanent separation from society, by the sounds of it.

[reprise]

Originally posted by The Fool

Unfortunately, the Criminal Justice system is the defacto psychiatric care system in a lot of places.

Kind of makes you long for the days when mentally ill criminals were detained "at the governor's pleasure", doesn't it?

[reprise]

Originally posted by Zep
I agree - this is one person who needs permanent separation from society, by the sounds of it.

We - as a society - didn't do ourselves any favours when we abandoned the concept of "criminal insanity".

[NoZed Avenger]

Originally posted by reprise
I can't help wondering why this individual was ever sent back from the psychiatric care system to the criminal justice system, and I only hope that whoever made that decision can be held accountable in some way.

You're assuming that he would be held longer if under psychiatric care? Or that they would rehabilitate him?

I do not know the statistics, but I am aware of anecdotal accounts where violent offenders who were put into the psych system were released even sooner. I have no idea what would be best under the circumstances -- but parole for this guy on his record after only 5 or 12 years . . . . I would not have thought the board would have granted it.

[The Don]

By no means is this a defenc(s)e but....

He spent 12 years, presumably in some kind of secure accommodation between being returned to Illinois in 1982 and pleading guilty in 1994.

Perhaps his release was due to the the fact that he had "served" half of the 35 year sentence if the 12 years are taken into account.

If he was a model prisoner then this would not be altogether unprecedented (whether you consider it to be unreasonable is different).

You do have to question whether the parole board considered whether he was a danger to others, but the mentally disturbed are often very good at hiding their symptoms. Maybe he just hoodwinked them into releasing him