Shed light on suspect’s release

Ed Thomas was laid to rest last week. The legacy of the longtime Aplington-Parkersburg schoolteacher, football coach and community leader will live on for generations. The tragedy of his June 24 murder, witnessed by about 20 students, reverberated nationwide, too, including the cover story of Sports Illustrated magazine.

Not yet put to rest are important questions about the case, including: Why would accused murderer Mark Becker have shot the man who coached him in high school? Why was Becker released from psychiatric care at a Waterloo hospital one day before Thomas was killed instead of being handed over to police, who were preparing to charge him with multiple felonies stemming from events of the previous weekend?

The first question's answer may be at hand, unless other information surfaces during legal proceedings. Becker's history of methamphetamine abuse that induced mental disorders, according to a close family friend, was the likely culprit tied to previous episodes of violence and his apparent shooting of Thomas.

But troubling questions surrounding Becker's release remain unanswered. Butler County Sheriff Jason Johnson, who took Becker to the hospital after getting a judge's order requiring the suspect to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, has said he asked to be notified when Covenant Medical Center released him. Hospital officials said they had no record of such a request. All parties insist they followed proper procedures and the law.

Under Iowa law, Covenant was required to release Becker within 48 hours of the judge's order, unless someone filed court documents including a doctor's statement that Becker was too mentally impaired to be let go. No one has confirmed whether such an application was filed.

Federal medical privacy laws complicate the situation. They limit hospitals' ability to notify police about a patient's release. And even then, Iowa hospitals' individual practices on notification vary somewhat.

Last week, the state ombudsman's office announced an investigation into the matter. And state Sen. Pat Grassley, whose district includes Parkersburg, said he wants the Legislature to review whether it can mandate better communication between mental health experts and police.

Their concerns are justified. Investigation is necessary. Why was someone who seems like a serious threat to society released without police being involved? Did our state's mental health system fail June 23 or even earlier to correctly assess Becker's problems? And what changes in communication procedures or the law could help prevent such incidents in the future?

At the least, investigations of this high-profile case must shed light, identify lessons to be learned and spur appropriate action.