A man who allegedly stabbed a person to death with a bayonet several years ago has been granted temporary leave privileges by the state's Psychiatric Security Review Board.
Alan Nadeau, of Lebanon, is now allowed to leave Whiting Forensic Hospital under certain circumstances, but must return back within an allotted period of time.
Police said they received a 911 call from a Ledge Road home in April 2015 from a man who had been stabbed. The witness told police she woke up when she heard screaming, then found a man on the floor.
When police arrived at the home, they found a man face-down on the floor and noticed a lot of blood. He'd been stabbed in the neck, and emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
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As police were responding to the home, Nadeau arrived in the lobby of State Police Troop K, holding a briefcase. He had a hand on his head and told police he'd been abused as a child.
When police asked Nadeau where the knife was, he said it was in the briefcase. When police opened the briefcase, they found a knife and a laptop, among other things.
Nadeau told authorities he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and a "schizo-type disorder" and hadn't taken medication since the year prior, according to police.
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As police interviewed Nadeau, he said he was sitting next to his father's friend and started having "flashbacks" of abuse he suffered, so he went to the basement, grabbed a "bayonet" style weapon, stabbed the victim once, ran to his room, grabbed his computer and the knife, placed them in a bag, left in his 2014 Subaru and turned himself in to police.
The Psychiatric Security Review Board said that in an April 2024 hearing, Nadeau was approved for community reintegration by seeking treatment outside of the hospital. This allows him to "start establishing rapport with community treatment providers."
In a separate hearing on Jan. 24, 2025, the board decided that he can move onto the next phase of leave, meaning overnights outside of the hospital. The circumstances surrounding Nadeau's leave were adjusted to be more structured.
The board said Nadeau remains a patient at the hospital with leave privileges that will be "incrementally issued and closely supervised and monitored by the hospital."
"At this hearing, the witnesses’ testimonies adequately addressed the concerns that were present at the time of the 2024 hearing and provided specific details and means by which Mr. Nadeau’s time would be more structured during a Phase 2 TL. The witnesses’ testimonies also provided clarification regarding Mr. Nadeau’s capacity to navigate social interactions, his ability to demonstrate good insight and judgement in a less restrictive setting, and his willingness and capacity to seek support as needed outside of the hospital setting," the board said in a statement.
During the most recent hearing, the board noted that Nadeau received positive feedback from various providers for his "improved social interactions and reduced tendencies toward isolation." They said his demeanor was described as pleasant, and he "maintained a forward-looking attitude."
"Mr. Nadeau actively participated in all recommended treatment modalities including clinical, rehabilitation, and Occupational Therapy groups and activities to further prepare him for furthering his community reintegration. Additionally, he engaged in weekly individual psychotherapy which he effectively utilized to address past experiences, their effects on him, and strategies for maintaining stability through positive coping mechanisms," the board's statement reads.
