Killer Stabs Store Clerk While Holding Severed Head

On Mother’s Day 2017, Joshua Lee Webb killed his mother, Tina Marie Webb, at their rural Oregon home. Webb then drove to a grocery store carrying what appeared to be her severed head. At the store, he attacked a checkout clerk with a knife before being subdued. This gruesome event shocked the small communities south of Portland, where the crime took place.

Charges and Insanity Plea

Following his arrest, Webb was charged with murder and attempted murder. He pleaded guilty except for insanity and has been living at an Oregon State Hospital in Salem since 2018. Psychologists who evaluated Webb believe he was under duress from psychotic disorders related to schizophrenia.

A Family’s Tragic Loss

Webb’s father, David Webb, was devastated by the loss of his wife and the arrest of his son. Webb, who had vision problems and received Social Security payments, lived with his parents, who took care of him. His mother had suspected he was depressed, although his father saw no signs of this. His sister, Sarah Morris-White, remarked in court, “Josh Webb is my brother, and I believe this sentence must have prison time behind it, or my mother’s death will forever be without true justice,” as reported by the Associated Press.

Possibility of Transfer

Recently, a state doctor deemed Webb, now in his 40s, stable enough to be transferred from the state psychiatric hospital to Lifeways McNary Place, a secure community-based treatment center in Umatilla. The transfer request was reviewed by the Oregon Psychiatric Security Review Board, a five-member board appointed by the governor. The board includes a psychiatrist, psychologist, attorney, parole and probation officer, and a public representative. They have yet to reach a decision or announce when they will conclude their deliberations.

Online Hearing and Psychiatric Support

During an online meeting, Webb appeared from a room at the state hospital but did not address the board. He was accompanied by Dr. Karl Mobbs, a forensic psychiatrist involved in his treatment, advocated for Webb’s release. Mobbs claimed that Webb avoids conflict with other patients and accepts taking his medication to treat his condition. The proposed Umatilla facility is locked and staffed around the clock, with at least two employees responsible for dispensing medication for Webb’s psychiatric condition.

Justice vs. Rehabilitation

The case highlights the thin line between the punitive nature of the justice system and the change for rehabilitation. According to Oregon Live, the daughter of the grocery store employee who was attacked said, “I do believe in the justice system as well as rehabilitation to some extent… however… It’s a terrifying thought to think anyone capable of those actions on that day would be able to be released from any kind of custody.”

Conflicting Perspectives

Mobbs believes that Webb was extremely ill when he committed the violent acts in 2017. He hopes the public would understand the extent to which Webb’s illness contributed to the crimes. Mobbs claims Webb has expressed some empathy for his actions, although he admits it is less than a normal amount. On the other hand, Scott Healy, first assistant Clackamas County district attorney, believes that someone in Webb’s state who is capable of such terrible acts should not be released from custody.

References: Oregon man who brought mom’s severed head to Thriftway is well enough to leave state hospital, doctor says | Man holding human head stabs store clerk; mother found dead | Oregon man sent to psychiatric hospital for beheading mother