A federal judge has approved the unconditional release of John Hinckely Jr. next year. Hinkley wounded late president Ronald Reagan and three others outside of a Washington, D.C. hotel in 1981 in a failed assassination attempt.
Hinckley, now 66, has been living outside of a mental health facility for the past several years. His full release will be in June 2022.
Prosecutors plan to monitor Hinckley over the next nine months after he has started living on his own for the first time in about 40 years and a primary doctor of his is disbanding his therapy group. The DOJ say they will file a motion with the court before June should they have any concerns about Hinckley.
In 1982, Hinckley was found not guilty by a jury by reason of insanity. He was on trial the year prior after shooting President Reagan, White House Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and Washington Metropolitan Police officer Thomas Delahanty.
Hinckley was committed to St Elizabeths hospital in D.C. where he lived for over 30 years. In 2003, they began lessening restrictions on him.
Source: NPR.org