Probe into officers' deaths widens

The state Department of Corrections is turning to an outside consultant to help in its examination into why three felons under DOC supervision were involved in the deaths last year of three Seattle-area law-enforcement officers.

Gov. Christine Gregoire in December ordered DOC Secretary Harold Clarke to report why felons recently released from prison were involved in incidents that resulted in the deaths of Seattle police officers Joselito Barber and Beth Nowak and King County Sheriff's Deputy Steve Cox in three separate incidents.

All three officers died after run-ins with convicts who had skipped mandatory reporting sessions with DOC's community corrections officers.

Clarke was supposed to get the report to Gregoire by Feb. 13, but requested an extension so he could have more time for research, said Holly Armstrong, Gregoire's communications director. The report is now due to the governor early next month.

"She's asking to find out if there's a relationship between these three cases and what can be done better," Armstrong said. "Does there need to be a better system in place?"

Clarke wasn't available for comment Wednesday, but DOC spokesman Jeff Weathersby wrote in an e-mail that the secretary "wants an outside set of eyes looking at the work that has been done in order to get the most out of this process."

Clarke will be asking the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) for an expert who can review the draft report, Weathersby said.

"Any agency — state, local or federal — can ask NIC for technical assistance," an official with NIC said Tuesday. "NIC will pay for a content expert to visit the jurisdiction and prepare a report."

The NIC provides training, technical assistance, information services and policy and program development assistance to federal, state, and local corrections agencies, according to the agency's Web site.

The deaths of the three officers prompted officials to examine how the Department of Corrections handles the court-ordered supervision of inmates after they get out of prison. According to the DOC, there are more than 25,000 people across the state being supervised by community corrections officers.

On Aug. 13, Barber, 26, was killed by a speeding driver who was just 10 days out of prison. Mary Jane Rivas has been charged with vehicular homicide and cocaine possession.

On Nov. 13, Nowak, 30, was killed when Neal Kelley collided with her car. Nowak was driving to work and Kelley was driving a stolen Honda. Both died instantly. Kelley was wanted by police for failing to meet with his DOC community corrections officer.

On Dec 2, Cox, 46, was shot twice in the head by Raymond Porter while the deputy was investigating a case in White Center. Porter then shot and killed himself. Earlier that night, Porter fatally shot another man, 23-year-old Dominique McCray, in SeaTac.

Before he died, Porter tested positive for drug use and missed an appointment with his DOC community corrections officer.

A fourth incident, involving a man under DOC supervision who was fatally shot by police last month after wounding an officer, is not part of the probe.

Seattle police Officer Troy Swanson was shot by Robert Sullivan on Jan. 17. Sullivan, 28, died after being shot by another officer. When he died, Sullivan was wanted by the DOC for failing to report for a substance-abuse evaluation.

King County Sheriff Sue Rahr said it is vital that DOC and local police work together when sharing information about felons.

"The Sheriff's Office is coordinating police and DOC collaboration in White Center in the wake of the death of Deputy Steve Cox, who died by the hand of another felon under DOC supervision. It is only through these partnerships and by working together that we can hope to keep the public safe," she said.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com