Youshock now sane: Hillsdale high bomber to be transferred to state prison

Youshock, now 23 years old, appeared in San Mateo County Superior Court Monday morning for the first time since prosecutors and his defense agreed he’d be sent to Napa State Hospital for treatment.

“I think Mr. Youshock is anxious to continue with his treatment in state prison. I think he’s anxious to serve the remainder of his sentence and hopefully be released at some point to be reunited with his family,” said defense attorney John McDougall. “He’s anxious to try and get some closure on all this by serving his sentence.”

Although Youshock’s exact diagnosis and medical report from Napa have not been publicly released, after receiving treatment and medication doctors found him restored to sanity, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti.

Youshock had never been on medication before his arrest and Guidotti noted he reportedly heard voices and had paranoid delusions that led him to turn on his former teachers.

His beliefs “had really gotten out of control in terms of thinking that the teachers were out to get him when in fact, they were just trying to get him to do his [school] work,” Guidotti said.

Youshock’s case proceeded for years with a jury narrowly deadlocking on sanity and whether to convict him of a second count of attempted murder stemming from the Aug. 24, 2009, incident.

Youshock arrived at the campus around 8 a.m. having spent five months planning an elaborate massacre to kill teachers he deemed “guilty” of ruining his life. He was armed with homemade bombs, a chain saw, sword and outfitted with a welding mask to protect his face from blood splatter.

He detonated two pipe bombs, including one he threw at an aide who was responding to a teacher’s screams, but failed in his attempt to start the chain saw. A teacher tackled the teen before anyone was injured. He remained subdued by two teachers and the principal until police arrived.

Jurors found him guilty of six felonies and Youshock eventually pleaded no contest to the second attempted murder charge with the prosecution agreeing to insanity on one charge of exploding a destructive device with intent to commit murder. As a result, Youshock was committed to the state mental institution in 2011.

“It was a good resolution of the case because it meant he would get the mental health treatment he needed. Everyone agreed he had mental health problems, but it also meant he would be punished for his conduct,” Guidotti said.

Guidotti, who argued during trial that Youshock had clearly premeditated the attack he referred to as “D-Day,” said she was unsurprised Youshock petitioned to have doctors declare he be restored to sanity late last year. Now, he can return to serving his prison term, she noted.

“His sanity was a borderline issue all along. The jurors felt 11-1 he was sane. There certainly was evidence he had mental health issues, but it doesn’t surprise me that with the medication, he was deemed sane,” Guidotti said. “The only thing at issue now is how much credit does he get for the time he has served.”

Youshock is scheduled to return to court Monday, March 14, where Guidotti said she’d argue the law provides he should not receive credit for his time spent in Napa.

In 2011, the court found Youshock had earned 628 days credit for time served, Guidotti said. Whether his nearly five-year stint at the mental hospital is included could mean he could be released from prison sooner.

McDougall noted prosecutors only deemed him insane in relation to one charge and he will argue his client should receive credit on the other charges.

“Because of the uniqueness of this plea, it was essentially a dual plea where we was going to be committed to Napa on one charge, but then serve a sentence on a number of other charges. The law is really not clear on custody credits,” McDougall said. “There’s some issues on what he’s entitled to from the day of his arrest, to essentially today.”

McDougall noted his client “willingly accepted the offer as part of the negotiated plea. He’s accepted the fact that he’ll have a lengthy state prison sentence to serve.”

As during much of the trial, Guidotti said on Monday Youshock was “very quiet, didn’t say a word” in court.

As part of his transfer, Youshock will also be required to begin paying the San Mateo Union High School District nearly $136,000 in restitution, Guidotti said.

“You don’t see these cases come along every day. This is a very, very unusual case,” Guidotti said. “I’ve seen a few of the victims on occasion and people seem to be doing well and moving on. I’m sure this has impacted their lives in ways that they’ll never forget, but people do have a way of healing, which is a wonderful thing.”

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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