Virginia lawmakers consider changing release laws after killer flees country on pass

Tonight, Virginia lawmakers raising concerns about the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute. Its director has been accused of misconduct and a patient with a violent history recently fled the country. Our chief legal correspondent, Katie Barlow, has the story and the update. Katie? In Virginia, when someone pleads not guilty by reason of insanity, they go into the custody of the Department of Behavioral Health, even if that case involves them killing someone or the loss of life. They don't go to jail. And when that happens, there are two ways that that person can be released back into the community. One, a judge grants what's called conditional release, but that requires a judge. The other, the commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health can actually allow that person to go on unescorted community visits up to 48 hours, even if a judge says that that person shouldn't be released. So today, at least two state senators in Virginia are considering changing the law and how it works. You have to recognize the fact. That this is the interface between two very different systems. One, the judge and the Commonwealth attorney, defense attorneys, whatever, on the public safety end of things, You know, involved in the judicial system. And then you have the needs of the mental health system. And these are two very different systems with very different goals. One is public safety, the other is restoration of someone's mental health. In July, Abdulloy Tashpulidzoda fled the country on a weekend community visit pass. He became a patient at the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute after he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity when he killed his landlord back in 2019. Now, Dr. Azir Barron, who approved community privileges for Tashpulidzoda, has a history of misconduct. Just yesterday, we reported on a state inspector general report identifying some of that that misconduct, including, quote, manipulating patient related. It sure sounds like we need to have a check and a balance in there to make sure it's not just one person holds the keys to somebody being able to flee the country. I mean, this whole situation has really caused me to question the way it's set up right now. If you just can't have, you know, juries and judges finding people not guilty by reason of insanity, having them going for mental health only to just flee the country because one of the doctors there. Governor Abigail Spanberger, who actually appoints the head of the Department of Behavioral Health, said she would look into this case and how something like this could happen back in August. We followed up a couple of times since to see how that investigation has been going, including once again today, a spokesperson for her office says she's still looking into it.