Suspect In Sister's Killing May Have Bipolar Disorder -- Woman To Be Evaluated At Western State

Patricia Wolters, a woman accused of stabbing her 36-year-old developmentally disabled, blind sister to death, will be sent to Western State Hospital for evaluation for 15 days.

At an arraignment hearing in King County Superior Court this morning, Wolters' defense attorneys and the prosecutor agreed to postpone the arraignment so officials at Western State can determine what mental state she was in at the time of the crime and to see if she is competent to stand trial.

According to court documents, Wolters, who has been charged with first-degree murder, may have been involuntarily committed to a mental hospital at least once before and may have been diagnosed as having bipolar disorder.

Without medication, the disorder can cause erratic mood swings, from mania to deep depression, and sometimes the individuals can be a danger to themselves or others, psychiatrists say.

The court documents say it's not clear whether Wolters had been taking medication or was under medical care.

Wolters had been caring for her sister, Nanette Pauline Sherlock, for 24 years, acquiring the responsibility after their mother died.

For the first 12 years, Sherlock lived with Wolters and her husband, Ray Wolters, until the couple divorced in 1986. After that she lived alone with her sister. And that's when, according to the state Division of Developmental Disabilities, Sherlock began receiving state benefits, officially putting her sister in charge of her welfare.

Wolters filled out the application and was the sole source of information, according to a spokeswoman for the Division of Developmental Disabilities.

Wolters was then contracted by the state to be Sherlock's caretaker.

"It's the client who hires and manages their workers," said a department spokeswoman. "We are responsible for doing background checks and an annual assessment of client needs."

Marybeth Poch, Seattle administrator for the division, said the care arrangement had been reviewed in 1996, and the department had no concerns about the care Wolters was giving.

She said the division was unaware of any of Wolters' alleged mental-health problems, but had they been, they might have asked for medical verification that she was able to handle the responsibilities.

According to the charging documents, Ray Wolters was concerned about the quality of care Sherlock was receiving and occasionally offered to watch her so his ex-wife could have a break.

On Nov. 10, he received a call from Wolters, who, court documents say, allegedly told him something had happened to Sherlock.

The documents say Ray Wolters went to the women's government-subsidized apartment in Pacific and found Sherlock dead. When police arrived, Patricia Wolters allegedly directed them to a Bible inscribed with, "Dear God, Please forgive me, I must kill Nanette, for Saddam Hussein has taken of the world and I must kill in Christ's name."

Patricia Wolters was arrested and taken to the King County Jail, where she is being held without bail in the psychiatric unit, pending the move to Western State.

Ann Carey, her defense attorney, said she was uncertain whether Wolters would ever be declared competent, a contention disputed by Deputy Prosecutor James Konat.

Konat said Wolters had been an excellent caregiver to her sister, watching over her like a mother would treat her own child.