Oregon Public Broadcasting

The head of Washington's Eastern State Hospital resigned Wednesday.

Hal Wilson was at the helm last week when a hospital patient who murdered a woman in 1987 walked away during a supervised outing in Spokane.

Phillip Paul was apprehended three days later.

Doug Porter is an assistant secretary at Washington's Department of Social and Health Services. He says the departure was voluntary.

Doug Porter: “Mr. Wilson offered to resign. He's eligible to retire and, in his letter, he does cite the recent circumstances of the patient escape and feels it's best that he resign his position.”

This week, administrators from DSHS and the Washington Department of Corrections are at the hospital. They're investigating the questions raised by Paul's disappearance.

They're also reviewing the policy that allows criminals who are mentally ill to leave the hospital grounds

Wilson's resignation will take effect October first.

DSHS officials say he'll be replaced, for now, by the hospital's chief operating officer.