HILLSBORO, OR (KPTV) -
A mentally ill man who admitted to brutally killing a Forest Grove man may be back on the streets as soon as Wednesday thanks to a legal loophole.
Investigators say Yovane Muro, using a throwing star and a butterfly knife, stabbed Gilberto Ramos to death in a Forest Grove park back in 2004.
The Washington County District Attorney's Office says they were forced to drop the charges against Muro because a state doctor found him unfit to stand trial.
Assistant District Attorney Bracken McKey says that because Muro is no longer a criminal, he is now technically a mental patient.
That means patient privacy laws will not allow for doctors to tell anyone if and when he is released from the hospital, or where he goes from there.
"He could be in the middle of Barnes Road tomorrow hurting somebody, and no one would know," said McKey.
"I guess that's because his patient privacy rights apparently take precedent over the community and over the victim's family, I guess, according to state health officials, none of that matters," said McKey.
Muro confessed to killing Ramos in Lincoln Park back in 2004. He has spent time in and out of state mental hospitals ever since.
During that time, Muro attacked the staff and patients there in10 different instances.
Last week, a judge recommended that Muro be recommitted to Oregon State Hospital, but Washington County Mental Health officials refuse to send him back there.
On top of that, McKey said, they won't divulge any treatment information to the DA's office, citing HIPPA regulations, now that Muro is simply a patient.
McKey said it's possible health officials will decide to re-commit Muro. It's also just as possible they will decide to release him into a group home or even set him free with no supervision.
The worst part, McKey says, is not being allowed to know what their decision will be. And that, he says, puts the entire public at risk.
"Someone is going to get hurt without a doubt in my mind. He's extremely dangerous," said McKey.
Muro is in the country illegally, but because he hasn't been convicted of a crime, he can't be deported.
FOX 12 contacted Washington County Mental Health to get its side of why they aren't releasing any information, but they were unavailable for comment.
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