Benjamin Bonner, a 23-year-old man who was committed to a psychiatric hospital for killing a Sequim woman and her dog in 2017, was denied special rights last week during his video appearance in Clallam County Superior Court.

Judge Laura Erickson denied Bonner “staff escorted community outings” despite recommendations from doctors and staff at Western State Hospital.

“I find this moving way too fast,” she said in court Aug. 25.

Bonner was found legally insane after he bludgeoned 71-year-old Cynthia Little, a family friend, and her dog to death with a fireplace poker in her Sunland home on May 4, 2017.

He was acquitted of second-degree murder, first-degree animal cruelty and first-degree robbery under the ruling by Erickson in April 2019.

“He continues not to grasp the enormity of what he’s done,” Erickson said on Aug. 25.

“We’re not there yet. This person was murdered a little over five years ago.”

She added that with Bonner making requests so soon is “indicative of someone who doesn’t understand.”

“If I murdered someone, I’d be more audacious about coming back with this kind of request,” Erickson said.

According to court documents, forensic evaluator Dr. Emily Mackelprang wrote that Bonner “appears to have improved his insight and developed a better understanding of the presentation and course of his symptoms (for schizophrenia).”

She continued, “though he shows some ongoing limitations to this knowledge (e.g., still maintains he did not begin experiencing symptoms until he moved to Washington State, when records indicate he was having symptoms while still residing in California) as well as his understanding and appreciation of the seriousness of his index offense and its consequences.”

Court documents from hospital staff state he manages his schizophrenia, remains medication compliant, attends treatment, successfully participates in unescorted grounds privileges, and “doesn’t post risk of violence as related to the current request for staff escorted community outings.”

Since his admission to the hospital, Bonner has requested increased levels of access on the hospital grounds in recent years, being approved in Sept. 26, 2019, denied in Dec. 3, 2020, and approved in Sept. 23, 2021, court documents state.

Erickson noted he’s done well in treatment, including more than 60 unescorted walks on hospital grounds, but “going out in the community is a different thing.”

Chief criminal deputy prosecuting attorney Michele Devlin said on Aug. 25 that Bonner struggles with insight into his crimes and what he did “to the survivors and to the residents of Sunland.”

Little’s sister Victoria also spoke to the court saying she didn’t have faith in his evaluations as he was previously released prior to the murder of her sister.

“I struggle with the idea that this should be a healing situation for Mr. Bonner,” she said.

“[Little] will never have any freedoms. Our family strongly objects. He is a danger to himself and others.”