Richard Worthington, who killed a nurse and held a hospital hostage in 1991, is proving to be a first-degree-felony headache wherever he goes.
Utah Corrections officials shipped Worthington to New Mexico because he was creating numerous management problems here.But after putting up with Worthington's antics for a year, New Mexico is returning him to sender.
"He's really been a pain in the neck," said Utah Corrections spokesman Jack Ford. "(New Mexico officials) finally said, `We've had enough. We'd like you to take him back.' "
Ford said Worthington has refused to accept responsibility for his crimes and continually harasses everybody - from fellow inmates to the governors of New Mexico and Utah - about how unjust his case is.
New Mexico has tried valiantly to accommodate Worthington, Ford said.
"They have four prisons (in New Mexico). He's been to all four. He doesn't get along with anyone at any of them. Basically, he offends everyone he's around."
Several New Mexico inmates, weary of Worthington's bellyaching, have beaten him up, Ford said.
"He's becoming someone they need to watch around the clock, and they don't want to deal with it anymore."
Worthington - armed with guns and a bomb - stormed Alta View Hospital on Sept. 20, 1991, killing nurse Karla Roth and holding nine nurses and patients hostage for 18 hours. He was enraged at a doctor who had performed a tubal ligation on his wife.
In March 1992, Worthington was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his guilty pleas to murder, eight counts of aggravated kidnapping and one count of aggravated burglary, all first-degree felonies.
While incarcerated in Utah, Worthington attempted suicide more than once and continually harassed the media, government officials and family members, Ford said. Worthington tells people that his wife is to blame for his crimes and that Roth wouldn't have gotten shot if she wouldn't have resisted, Ford said.
So Utah decided to find a safe haven for him in New Mexico.
Utah Corrections officials have asked New Mexico for a few weeks time so that they can find another state that would be willing to take Worthington.
"We want to find a place that will be helpful to him as well as us. A place where he can get some treatment or help. We still feel he's better off in another state."
Ford said several states owe Utah "favors" relating to exchange of prisoners, which is a common practice under an interstate prison compact. He refused to name those states, however, saying he doesn't want the bad publicity surrounding Worthington to scare them off.
"We'd prefer to have him somewhere where he's not a high-profile prisoner. But obviously, if we can't find a place, we'll take him back."