Mental Patient With A Violent Criminal History On The Loose

Wednesday, June 6th 2007, 10:32 am

By: News On 6

A violent escapee is on the loose in eastern Oklahoma and has been for the last two weeks. A man, who was sentenced to the Oklahoma Forensic Center in Vinita, was part of a group that took an excursion to Lake Oologah on May 23rd. News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright reports that man walked away, yet no one in that area was notified.

The Department of Mental Health did not tell the Oklahoma Lake Patrol, the Rogers County Sheriff's Office or the Oologah Police Department that a man with a violent history had walked away from the group. That means, for two weeks, no one has been looking for him and citizens had no idea to be on the lookout.

Randy Thweatt has a history of convictions, arrests and mental competency issues. He was part of a group from the Vinita hospital to come to Lake Oologah for an excursion, on May 23rd. He walked away from the group and hasn't been seen since.

The Department of Mental Health won't say how he got away from the staff, but the department chose not to tell anyone in this area that he was gone, which means police couldn't search, they couldn't warn citizens or alert their officers.

"With this publicity, some of these agencies will realize how important it is to the safety of the public,â€ said Oologah Police Chief Novale Thompson. â€œIf this ever happens again, they need to make notification, so we can take immediate action to protect the citizens."

Records show Thweatt was considered a danger to himself and others, based partly on his attempt to stab a McCurtain County jailer in December of 2005. Records show he also threatened to shoot a woman and burn down her house. Yet, no one near the lake would still know about the escapee if it wasn't for John Wylie, the publisher of the Oologah Lake Leader.

His investigation is the reason the Rogers County Sheriff's was able to learn Thweatt was missing and get enough information to list him as a missing person on the national crime computer network.

"They had no idea this guy was in the park, that he was a danger to them,â€ said Wylie. â€œWhat do lakes draw at this time of year? Families, kids, it boggles my mind."

The Department of Mental health considers Thweatt a walkaway rather than escapee, although he was court ordered to the Vinita treatment center and is not allowed to leave.

Department of Mental Health did notify McCurtain County, where Thweatt is accused of crimes, but no in Rogers County, where Thweatt escaped.

The Department of Mental Health says it has suspended all excursions for the time being and is examining its policies on how to make notification when someone walks away.

Rogers County undersheriff told the News On6, notification must be made not only for the safety of the public and the deputies but also the person who is missing.

Watch the video: Police Search For Mental Patient On The Loose For Two Weeks