Port Angeles – A Bainbridge Island man was sentenced Tuesday in the killing of a Sequim woman two years ago.
20-year-old Benjamin Bonner entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity in Clallam County Superior Court.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Michelle Devlin says Bonner will be sent to Western State Hospital until it is determined he is no longer a threat.
Bonner had undergone psychiatric evaluations and medications since his arrest in the killing of 71-year-old Cynthia Little at her home in Sunland nearly two years ago.
Bonner had reportedly suffered from mental health issues in the past and investigators say an adjustment in his anti-psychotic medications may have contributed to the crime.
Psychiatrists say he fits a diagnosis of schizophrenia and has suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Bonner had faced charges of second-degree murder, animal cruelty and robbery. He allegedly beat Little to death with a fireplace tool, killed her dog and stole her car in May 2017.