Crime & Safety
Accused Murderer Will Stay At Western State: Lindquist
Lawrence Butterfield, accused of killing his roommate in 2010, was set to be released in Lakewood this week.
LAKEWOOD, WA - Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said in a statement Wednesday that accused murderer Lawrence Butterfield will not be released from Western State Hospital as previously planned. Butterfield was supposed to be released Monday, a move protested by Lakewood state Sen. Steve O'Ban.
Butterfield has been accused of killing his roommate in 2010, and, upon release from Western State, would've been free to roam Lakewood and surrounding areas. At the time of the killing, Butterfield told police he heard voices that told him to kill the roommate.
Lindquist said that he contacted Gov. Jay Inslee on Sept. 1 and asked the state to reconsider Butterfield's release. After that letter, Western State officials decided against releasing Butterfield.
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“Mr. Butterfield has serious, well-documented mental health issues. He is not well enough to be held accountable for murder and he is not well enough to be safely released into our community,” Lindquist said in the statement.
Image via Pierce County Prosecutor's Office
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