RICHLAND, Wash. – UPDATE 4:14 p.m.
The court has found Aaron Christopher Kelly not guilty on plea of insanity, according to a NonStop Local reporter at Monday’s hearing.
The court reportedly found Kelly insane at the time of the act and found him to be both “a substantial danger” and “a danger to continue to do harm.”
Four trained mental health professionals deemed Kelly to be criminally insane with extra reports saying he could not prove right from wrong.
The professionals agreed that at the time of the murder, Kelly had schizophrenia and was unable to perceive the nature and quality of the offense.
Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Eisinger said in a press conference following the hearing that this was not the closure the community sought, however the court lacked sufficient evidence to find Kelly guilty.
Eisinger said Kelly will now be held indefinitely at the Eastern State Hospital.
No questions were taken at the brief press conference.
ORIGINAL COVERAGE
It has been over two years since a shooting at the Richland Fred Meyer left one person dead and seriously injured another on Feb. 7. 2022.
Aaron Christopher Kelly, 41, has been charged with first degree murder and attempted first degree murder for the shooting and has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Kelly’s next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 12., where, according to court documents, he is expected to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.
Kelly walked into the Fred Myer off of Wellsian Way in Richland shortly after 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 7 and after a very brief conversation shot two people, killing Justin Krumbah, 38, and seriously wounding Fred Meyer employee Mark Hill.
Richland Police identified Kelly as the suspect in the shooting and he was arrested without incident on I-90 between Sprague and Spokane on Feb. 8. 2022.
According to probable cause documents from Kelly’s first court appearance, Fred Meyer employees knew Kelly due to previous incidents of shoplifting and his former roommate spoke of his paranoia and deteriorating mental state and bail was set at $1 million.
Kelly was scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 23. 2022, however, that did not happen and he was instead ordered to undergo a competency evaluation by the Department of Social and Health Services.
According to the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office, Kelly was ultimately arraigned on March 15, 2023, and entered his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
If found not guilty by reason of insanity, Kelly would be confined to Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake, rather than prison.
