Murder Charge Refiled Against Psychiatric Hospital Escapee

EVERETT (AP) — Prosecutors have filed another murder charge against a man who broke out of Washington state's largest mental hospital last year after an initial murder charge was dropped when doctors determined he was too mentally ill to stand trial.

The Daily Herald reports Deputy Prosecutor Matt Hunter said Wednesday he filed the new charge after learning Anthony Garver could soon be released from jail.

Hunter says the Federal Bureau of Prisons planned to give Garver credit for time served on charges related to the escape and other crimes.

Garver was held at the Western State Hospital in Lakewood after being accused of torturing a 20-year-old woman to death. He escaped in April 2016 and was found days later.

Hunter says he refiled the charge based on Garver's competency proceedings last month, when a judge said Garver was malingering to avoid prosecution.