OKANOGAN COUNTY, Wash. – A man found not guilty by reason of insanity for the brutal murder of an elderly farmer in 2017 is petitioning for ‘Staff Escorted Community Outings,’ known as SECO. The court proceedings to decide whether or not the petition will be approved by a judge are set to begin Wednesday and last two days.
Jared Fudge is under the custody and supervision of DSHS. Fudge was originally placed at Eastern State Hospital but was moved to Maple Lane in 2024. They opened a wing for not guilty by reason of insanity patients. Under state law, Fudge can petition for these outings.
According to records, Fudge admitted to the murder of 82-year-old Clarence ‘Shag’ Hauf. Hauf was beaten and stabbed to death. The killer than set his homestead on fire. Fudge and Hauf met each other when Fudge agreed to help out of Hauf’s land. Family members say the arrangement quickly soured. Hauf’s daughters say their father lived in great fear of Fudge in the months leading up to his murder.
Examples of the type of staff supervised outings that Fudge could get if the petition is approved include visits to bowling alleys, a mall or Goodwill stores. Officials say because of where he is currently being treated the outings will likely be in Lewis or Thurston counties, but could technically be anywhere in the state.
Hauf’s daughter Penny Tverberg says she and other family members will be in the courtroom as this plays out.
“This is not right,” she said. “He brutally murdered someone but has the right to petition to get out on outings. My father doesn’t get to have that chance. This is a sad time for our family.”
The timeline for the judge’s ruling on this matter is unknown.
