SEATTLE — A Seattle woman is speaking out after she said the case against the man who broke into her home and tried to rape her may be dismissed due to a mental health evaluation.
According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the woman’s attacker, Qyreek Singletary, has spent the last 90 days undergoing competency rehabilitation to determine if he could become mentally competent to stand trial.
But Thursday, the KCPAO met with the survivor to explain that there may not be a legal basis to challenge the forensic evaluator’s opinion that the defendant is incompetent and is not likely to be restored to full competency.
“If the charges were to be dropped and the psychiatric facilities were to let him go to a non-secure location, the message I get from that is they’re okay with this happening again, they will allow this to happen again,” said the victim, who asked KIRO 7 only to identify her as “Jane.”
“I still have nightmares about it,” Jane said.
It has been nine months since Jane was attacked, but the trauma is still fresh.
“Any erratic behavior, any quick movement, if I can hear someone walking behind me, that’s when my heart starts to pound and I start to brace myself just in case,” Jane said.
According to court documents, Singletary, a homeless man who had recently relocated to Seattle, approached Jane outside of her Capitol Hill apartment. After she went inside, he forced his way in behind her, tackling her before ultimately pulling out a knife, forcing her upstairs into a bedroom and trying to rape her.
“He tried to smother my screams, he fought me, I tried to bite him and eventually he pulled out a knife and told me to be quiet,” Jane said, recalling the encounter.
Jane was on the phone with her dad at the time of the attack. He was able to call police, who came knocking just as Jane said Singletary became aware of the phone call.
“I don’t know, if my dad hadn’t been on the phone and he hadn’t called the police and they hadn’t come, if I would be here today,” said Jane.
Singletary was taken into custody at that time. Two days later KCPAO filed charges for felony attempted rape and felony burglary.
Just shy of three weeks later, a judge granted a motion by Singletary’s defense attorney for a competency evaluation to determine whether Singletary lacked the capacity to understand the nature of a trial against him.
The court ultimately determined that Singletary was incompetent to stand trial and ordered Singletary to partake in inpatient treatment with the Department of Social and Health Services.
In mid-June, Singletary was admitted to Western State Hospital for 90 days of inpatient competency restoration.
The 90-day period is over, and an evaluator has offered their opinion that the defendant is incompetent and is not likely to be restored – deferring a final decision to a judge to determine whether the case would be dismissed.
“I thought there was no way this man would not end up in prison for what he did,” said Jane. “I want him to face charges and be convicted and face consequences for what he did, and I want to make sure he never does this to anyone else again because I know how terrible it is.
“This man could do the exact same thing to someone else, anyone else, walking around Seattle in broad daylight, or he’d come back to finish what he started with me, and I don’t think that person, or me the second time, is going to get the same kind of like twisted and sick version of lucky that I was, where at least they caught him in the act,” Jane continued.
Friday, Jane was told the defense had agreed to extend Singletary’s mental health treatment by nearly two weeks.
Meanwhile, KCPAO said multiple senior deputy prosecutors are working on the case, gathering additional evidence to examine whether there is a legal basis to argue against the State Department of Social and Health Services evaluator’s conclusion.
“Prosecutors right now have some of the top senior deputy prosecutors in our office looking exactly at this case and every legal option that we have, with the finding from the Department of Social and Health Services. We’re doing everything we can under the law, and ultimately, we want her voice heard. We want the judge who has the ultimate say here to listen to exactly what she says. Her voice needs to be heard,” said Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for KCPAO.
Still, Jane said her nightmare continues as she lives in constant fear that her attacker will be released back onto the streets.
“It makes me really worried because if they can’t get justice for my case, it makes me really worried for all of the other women out there,” said Jane. “I don’t think anyone is safe in Seattle if he gets out.”
King County prosecutors asked the survivor to write a statement that can be shared with the court. The case is scheduled to go before a judge after the two-week mental health treatment extension.
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