Exclusive | Accused Fred Meyer gunman likely has ‘delusional disorder,’ psychologist says

A state psychologist believes the gunman who opened fire inside a Richland Fred Meyer store is delusional and needs treatment before he can be competent to stand trial.

Aaron Christopher Kelly has adamantly refused to cooperate, even to answer questions, which may lead a Tri-Cities judge to force him to be involuntarily medicated.

Doctors say that his time being evaluated at Eastern State Hospital, a Washington psychiatric facility, has been marked by a refusal to cooperate. He also doubts whether the punishments he could face as a result of the shooting are real.

“While Mr. Kelly’s records and current presentation show functional behavior and rationally thinking about most areas, this may not be the case when asked to discuss his delusional beliefs,” Brooke England wrote in her 12-page report on Kelly’s competence.

Kelly, 40, is charged in Benton County Superior Court with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

He’s accused of going into the Richland Fred Meyer on Feb. 7 and shooting two strangers — Instacart worker Justin Krumbah and then Fred Meyer employee Mark Hill. Krumbah died in the store, and Hill was wounded three times but survived.

While Kelly was arrested 11 hours after the shooting, the legal proceedings against him have been on hold since Feb. 23 when defense attorneys asked to have his competency evaluated.

The psychologist did not rule out that Kelly is putting on an act but she wants to keep him at the Medical Lake facility near Spokane for three more months to treat him for delusional disorder.

The report says the disorder is treatable through the use of anti-psychotic medications.

In part, Kelly’s time at the hospital would help the medical staff to make sure that he is not faking an illness and isn’t on the autism spectrum, she said.

Without treatment, England said they cannot completely rule out that certain behaviors are the result of psychosis or a developmental disorder.

Kelly has rejected any drug stronger than a multivitamin during the two months he’s been at Eastern, according to the report.

His attorneys have said they plan to fight efforts to force him to take the medications.

A court hearing on the issue has not been scheduled.

Competency for trial

England believes that Kelly understands the charges he is facing and is able to be educated, to retain information and to use new information to solve problems.

He was able to understand “how one might perceive in the case that life in prison was a ‘real’ potential sentence.”

England’s observations lead her to believe that Kelly has delusional disorder and those symptoms are preventing him from communicating with his attorneys.

This disturbance not only impacts his ability to assist his attorney, but would likely impact any interaction with the court where he may be asked to consider or speak to facts around his delusional belief system,” said the report.

She said this disorder is typically treatable with anti-psychotic medication and psychotherapy, though she does not believe Kelly will voluntarily cooperate with either method of treatment.

Jail visitors

As part of the evaluation, England contact people who know Kelly — a longtime friend, Kelly’s mother and another man. They only heard back from Kelly’s friend, despite the fact that Kelly was regularly communicating with his mother.

The report also noted that while in jail Kelly warned people who called him that anything they said or wrote to him could be used in court against him, and that they could talk “after the trial.”

The documents did not reveal who those people were.

Kelly wound not give information about his past.

The evaluator was able to glean some information from interviews, including Kelly and a sister grew up with his parents. He went to a Christian college in Marshall, Texas.

His former landlord previously told the Herald that Kelly was a school teacher who apparently moved to the Tri-Cities in recent years and was doing virtual tutoring work by day. He often hung out at area coffee shops, like Starbucks.

The state report said Kelly appeared to struggle with maintaining minor friendships and acquaintances, but had several close long-term friends.

While he talks with his mother, sister and friends regularly, Kelly was living in his car before the shooting. England said she didn’t know if he had been working.

Kelly had “mild mood fluctuations,” according to friends. He was described as depressed and possibly hypomanic, meaning having periods of being over-active and excitable behavior.

A friend said Kelly has “become increasingly concerned over expressed beliefs that environmental information was connected in irrational ways indicating malicious intent.”

After his arrest, Kelly hasn’t needed to be restrained or separated from others.

“He had been cautious over his communication with jail staff and providers,” England said.

The report said that Kelly was worried about other hospital patients being able to go into his room because the door did not lock, but he was reassured that would not happen.

Earlier this year, a former landlord told the Herald about similar paranoid behavior.

The landlord was so desperate to remove Kelly, that after an eviction request was denied because of COVID pandemic restrictions, he sold his home and moved.

The landlord and others who rented rooms in the home said they were fearful of Kelly, who eventually was evicted from the vacant house by sheriff’s deputies.

Refusing treatment

Much of Kelly’s stay at Eastern State Hospital has been marked by either his refusing to answer questions or his concern he would be punished for not answering questions.

He was initially brought to the hospital on April 28. When his treating psychiatrist, Dr. Gregory Bahder, interviewed him shortly after his arrival and said when Kelly was asked questions, he would mostly reply with, “I don’t recall. I have no comment.”

“He is polite, although brief throughout the interview, looks like he is deliberating at times or having some internal process, but continually refuses to answer questions,” Bahder wrote.

Hospital staff had similar experiences with Kelly. He has had no problem remembering things or knowing where he is.

He also refused all treatment options, but asked relevant questions, showing he understood what was being offered.

“He is described by staff as polite and cautious,” England wrote. “Some staff have considered his refusal to be related to possible paranoia. However, these entries show no additional evidence of paranoid thinking.”

Fixating on legal terms

When he was attorneys were present, he often would ask his attorneys questions, fixating on the meaning of legal terms.

Midway through the interview, Kelly told England that he wanted to share some information, but was “unsure,” according to the report.

He asked her opinion about an “irrelevant hypothetical scenario” and wouldn’t accept her answer. He then argued various aspects of the scenario.

In her description, Kelly asked about a game where the prize is a metal bar.

“The metal may be real gold or may be fake. The other team knows what it is. You know the rules and strategies. Will you play the best you can if the metal is real gold?” he asked according to the report.

When the evaluator answered the question, Kelly didn’t accept the answer. He then said if she could give him an honest answer, he could continue talking about it.

The evaluator assured him her answer was honest, but he then asked the evaluator to look for psychological studies on the subject.

When the evaluator tried to redirect him, Kelly continued and asked if he could ask his attorney the question.

When England tried to end the evaluation, Kelly started to look anxious.

“He explained, ‘I have some question of whether the punishments are real. If would affect my defensive strategies. If I could know whether they are real it would help,’” according to the report.

He explained there was someone who hadn’t moved, or was on vacation recently, who would be able to tell him if he could trust his perception.

He also said he could be competent if he knew whether “the punishment was real.”

England said it was the most Kelly had interacted with any staff since his arrest and it was “highly unproductive, confusing and reflected intrusive thinking.”

Kelly denied having “any issues that could be treated with medication” and wanted a CAT scan.

This story was originally published June 21, 2022 at 5:00 AM.