Three years ago, he killed two people. Now, he’s getting out

GALESBURG, Mich. (WOOD) — Denise Cooper vividly remembers driving to the Galesburg apartment of her daughter and son-in-law in the summer of 2021 to find it crowded with police investigating their deaths.

Three years later, the man who admitted to shooting and killing them is expected to be released from psychiatric care.

“The hardest part is not being able to say what I want to say to the person that did this,” Cooper said. “The individual that did this, in my opinion, is being treated better than the victims themselves.”

Kailey and Virgil Walker were shot in their apartment by William Wolfe on June 3, 2021. Wolfe called 911 dispatchers to report the shooting. More than a year later in 2022, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed by a judge to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry.

Cooper said a phone call from officials Monday morning notified her of Wolfe’s expected release within the week.

Kalamazoo County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Williams said the office was notified of the pending release by Cooper. He said court documents seem to confirm what Cooper was told.

He explained that generally, the legal system stresses the intent of the suspect. A finding of not guilty by reason of insanity, Williams said, accounts for cases when a suspect’s mental health prevented them from understanding the situation.

“Was your mental illness so severe at the time the crime was committed that you didn’t realize that you were doing something harmful or something in violation of the law? And that’s the situation that presented itself in this case,” Williams said.

He said that once a person is found not guilty by reason of insanity, their case is handed over to the state psychiatric hospital system. State doctors handle evaluations and treatment. Reports are reviewed by a probate court.

Once a person is released, Williams said there are few legal options left for prosecutors. He said the goal now is taking care of the Walkers’ loved ones.

“My number one reaction to that is just how terrible it is for the victims,” Williams said. “Losing a loved one suddenly as what happened in this case is a terribly challenging thing for anyone and for any family. And despite our best efforts, the court system can be really traumatic for victims.”

Surrounded by pictures of Kailey and Virgil, who Cooper called Larry, she said she is working to contact lawmakers to intervene in Wolfe’s release. She said her determination comes from the life her daughter and son-in-law lived.

“No matter how hard they were knocked down, they always got back up,” Cooper said.

A spokesperson with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said the agency cannot provide an update on Wolfe’s status or his release due to patient privacy laws. The spokesperson said a person declared not guilty by reason of insanity must meet the criteria set by the Michigan Mental Health code for a “person requiring treatment” to continue involuntary treatment.

Before a patient is discharged to another facility or into the community, the spokesperson said, a committee of trained forensic staff reviews the risks. It’s part of the process to support a patient’s continued treatment and address possible security risks.

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