Investigation continues into fatal Vinita shooting earlier this month

How did a Vinita man go from being a promising student athlete to a killer? That's something state mental health officials are investigating after 48 year-old Ricky Martin entered Craig Hospital,

Thursday, October 25th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

How did a Vinita man go from being a promising student athlete to a killer? That's something state mental health officials are investigating after 48 year-old Ricky Martin entered Craig Hospital, and shot nurse Deanna Dorsey to death.

Many in the community blame the hasty closing of Eastern State Hospital, where Martin often went for treatment. Legislation in 1999 forced the facility to make $10 million worth of cuts to its mental health program. Police investigators now say Martin was paranoid schizophrenic, but had stopped taking his medication.

Vinita Asst Police Chief Barry Armstrong: "And we had talked with family members and they had indicated that they had felt like, if Eastern State had been open, that he may very well have went out there. We've experienced that with several mental health patients in the area when we deal with them. That's where they want to go."

Governor Keating has instructed the Department of Mental Health to look into the incident, to prevent future tragedies. Craig General Hospital has set up a nursing scholarship in Dorsey's name.