WA state psychologists weigh in on sanity of Tri-Cities man who viciously killed his mom
A West Richland man was not legally sane when he stabbed and killed his mother and attacked her boyfriend, a state psychologist has concluded.
David J. Lowe’s schizophrenia prevented him from understanding what he was doing was wrong, according to a recently released report from psychologist Nathan Henry with the state of Washington.
“There is extensive evidence that Mr. Lowe was experiencing acute symptoms of psychosis directly impacting his thoughts, perceptions and behavior at and around the time of the alleged events,” Henry wrote in the 14-page report.
Henry said that even after nearly a year of medication and counseling it wouldn’t be safe to release Lowe, who also continues to doubt he has schizophrenia.
Benton County prosecutors have not said if they plan to ask for a second opinion after a defense attorney’s mental health expert drew the same conclusion.
Lowe, 31, has been in the Benton County jail or at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake for more than a year since the July 2022 attack.
He initially told police he believed his mother and her boyfriend were responsible for killing his young daughter, so he broke into their home.
Psychologist reports later say it’s unclear if he has a biological daughter, though a former girlfriend has a child.
When his mother, Bethany Lowe, 47, came downstairs to talk with him, he’s accused of stabbing and cutting her. Then he attacked her boyfriend, Andy Davis, who managed to barricade himself in another room, said investigators. Lowe was still at the house until police arrived.
Two other kids were at the house but were unharmed.
He is currently charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and first-degree burglary.
Accused Richland murderer was not sane when he attacked his mom, his attorney says
Cloudy history
Much of Lowe’s personal history included in the report comes from his own statements and may not be true, Henry wrote.
He reported moving to Washington from Virginia when he was about age 3. His biological father died by suicide when he was young, according to the report.
Lowe told evaluators he lived on a farm with his mother and her then husband until he was 8.
He told evaluators that his parents brought foster children into the home to test pharmaceutical products, which appeared to be “non-reality based,” said the report.
When talking about his past, Lowe said his grandmother called him a pedophile and put acid on his finger. He showed his finger to the camera to show a scar, but no scar was visible.
Lowe said he has a young daughter he had never been able to see, and claimed his ex-girlfriend “followed me around, she was stalking me. She pretty much chased me out of Virginia,” according to the report.
“It is currently unclear if Mr. Lowe’s beliefs about having a biological daughter are reality-based,” the report said.
Court records searches show David Lowe has a history of arrests for drug use, break-ins and other issues, including several no-contact protection orders from his mother and his ex-girlfriend.
He worked for a time as a firefighter.
Schizophrenia treatment
While Lowe has routinely denied having schizophrenia, he has two previous psychiatric hospital stays because of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. He reported taking medication for panic attacks in 2015.
He told evaluators he began using methamphetamine when he was 25, and at times used it daily. The last time was the day he was arrested, and evaluators believe it exacerbates the symptoms of his disease.
He sought treatment for his methamphetamine use, first at the James Oldham Treatment Center in late 2018.
After he told them about being molested, it was determined that he needed mental health treatment along with drug treatment.
Crisis responders there evaluated whether he should be involuntarily committed, but he wasn’t detained at the time.
After leaving the Oldham center, he went to the New Horizon Care Center in Spokane. He was discharged nine days later because he left the facility without permission to buy methamphetamine and tried to return to the center.
According to the report, he also participated in drug treatment in 2019 at American Behavioral Health Systems.
He started having problems again in July 2022. On July 5 he locked himself in a gas station bathroom for eight hours and exhibited “bizarre behavior, including paying with toilet water and making comments about ghosts taking over his body,” said the report.
Three days later on July 8, he went to Wenatchee Parkside Stabilization, an evaluation and treatment center. After he was admitted, he reported hearing his daughter and parents communicating with him.
Eastern Hospital stay
Since his arrest, Lowe improved while he was getting treatment at Eastern State Hospital. But officials said he has suffered from several delusional beliefs.
He talked about things being radioactive, nuclear missions, being robbed and various other topics when he was initially being treated to help his defense attorney.
Lowe, who is Black, told hospital staff that a group of racists known as “Dancing Bear” were “out to get him,” according to the report. He believed the group had ties to the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan and Benton County law enforcement agencies.
He also talked about being poisoned and having been poisoned by radioactive substances.
After months of treatment, he appeared to improve, but in a November 2023 interview with Henry, Lowe continued to say that he didn’t believe he was schizophrenic. When he was asked if he would continue to take medication, he said “probably.”
“He exhibited a lack of insight regarding why the anti-psychotic is prescribed,” Henry said.
