Cal State Fullerton Mass Murderer Moved in Secret

FULLERTON, CA—The Cal State Fullerton mass murder is still fresh in the mind of daughter Patricia Almazan, who lost her father in a janitor's shooting rampage. A total of seven people died from wounds Edward Charles Allaway inflicted that day. A judge declared him criminally insane in 2001.

Patricia Almazan, the daughter of one of seven victims, said she recently heard a news report on a radio station while switching channels that a murderer had been transferred out of Patton to Napa State Hospital. Concerned that it might be Allaway, who gunned down his victims 40 years ago on the campus of Cal State Fullerton, she called to find out of it was her father's killer.

READ: 40 Years after Cal State Fullerton Shooting Spree Families Still Grieve

"So I called Patton and found out from a social worker that he had been moved," Almazan said.

State officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Now, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas blasted state hospital officials today for "quietly" moving mass killer Allaway from Patton State Hospital to what he said was a less-secure facility in advance of a release.

About Allaway's New Home

The Napa State Hospital, according to reports from npr.org, has a perimeter of a tall metal fence topped by barbed wire. Managed by the California's Department of State Hospitals, the psychiatric hospital is primarily filled with patients sent there by the criminal justice system.

"Some of them committed horrific crimes but were found not guilty by reason of insanity," npr reported.

There's nothing Rackauckas can do to stop the transfer, but his office can oppose Allaway's request for release, which would prompt a trial.

Declared Criminally Insane

In 2001, Allaway lost his bid for release following a two-month trial.

Jurors deadlocked on whether Allaway was insane, so a judge declared in 1977 he was criminally insane. He was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.

On July 12, 1976, the school janitor went on his rampage, getting off 23 rounds with a rifle as he cut down his victims. He believed his estranged wife was being pushed into performing in pornographic movies.

Prosecutors object to his release because he hasn't shown a full consciousness of guilt and he has a tendency to be a "lone wolf," so he would likely lack necessary support upon his freedom, said Assistant District Attorney Dan Wagner, who opposed Allaways release in 2001's trial.

What World Would Await Allaway?

Allaway would not only be let go into an entirely different world and culture from 1976, he would also be the target of hostility and would have difficulty coping, making another incident more likely, Wagner said.

Alamazan said she worries that his release would establish precedence that would allow other mass killers to go free.

Paul Paulsen, brother of victim Deborah Paulsen, said, "For 40 years we've had to ensure the loss of our loved ones to this vicious calculated killer, and here we are again today in the latest chapter."

Paulsen said he "wholeheartedly" opposes Allaway's release.

"This is a reprehensible action and a threat to me personally and on our local communities," Paulsen said. "God help us if he is ever released in any way shape or form."

Almazan agreed.

"If he gets released, no one will be safe," she said.

A Short Walk to Freedom?

Rackauckas said Allaway has a "10- to 15-minute walk" to freedom on the Napa campus.

"It's a real concern that Allaway will be given ground privileges, which would allow him to leave hospital grounds that do not have walls and are only partially fenced in," Rackauckas said.

The county's top prosecutor added that Allaway "had a history of mental illness, workplace violence, marital discord, racism and a preoccupation with weapons even before he moved to California in 1972. Once in California, he continued his violent ways, including numerous fistfights with co-workers and beating and raping his estranged wife."

Allaway has petitioned for release five times, triggering a trial each time, Rackauckas said.

Firestorm of Controversy in OC

"Each trial caused a firestorm of controversy in Orange County, reasonably alarming citizens of the possibility of a mass murderer returning to their streets," Rackauckas said. "Over and over, hospital staff have testified on Allaway's behalf, saying that he is cured and is no longer dangerous."

While state officials have no legal obligation to notify victims or prosecutors of a patient's transfer, they do have a "moral obligation," Wagner said.

Rackauckas has written letters to Gov. Jerry Brown and Patton Hospital administrators opposing Allaway's release.

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