PORT ANGELES — Prosecutors and the attorney for Bruce Rowan, the former ER doctor found not guilty of murdering his wife for reasons of insanity seven years ago, may soon reach an agreement on the conditions of Rowan’s release from Western State Hospital.
“We’ve been working on the details,” Clallam County Deputy Prosecutor Lauren Erickson said Tuesday. “I’m anticipating an agreement.”
A hearing on Rowan’s release has been scheduled to go before Clallam County Superior Court Judge George Wood on June 3.
Rowan’s attorney, David Allen, could not be reached for comment.
If his request is approved, Rowan plans to find an apartment in Pierce County.
A Clallam County jury found Rowan, 41, not guilty for reasons of insanity in the bludgeoning of his wife, Deborah, in 1998.
During the trial, Rowan and his attorney said that the former physician had suffered clinical depression and that the killing was done during a psychotic episode.
Deborah’s father, Richard Fields, said the family was disappointed by the original verdict, but appreciated the additional psychiatric review administered to Rowan.
Deborah Rowan’s family requested that an independent psychiatric evaluation be performed on Rowan.
Erickson said the agreement between prosecutors and the Rowans’ attorney would consider concerns and conditions raised in both Western State’s evaluation and the independent evaluation.
Erickson would not say what concerns the independent review had.