Headshot of Harrison Brown
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AUSTIN (KXAN) A man found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2017 stabbing of University of Texas student Harrison Brown may get out of a state mental hospital.

A hearing is set for Wednesday to decide whether Kendrex White has rehabilitated enough for outpatient services. White’s attorney has no comment at this time, but explained that if White is released into outpatient care, the courts would still monitor that process.

Headshot of Harrison Brown
Harrison Brown was stabbed on UT’s campus in 2017. (Courtesy Lori A. Brown)

The Travis County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement it opposes White’s release and will request that he remain in inpatient care “for the safety of our community.”

Lori Brown, Harrison’s mother, said White would be released into Bexar County. affiliate KXAN is still waiting for clarification about the location from the courts.

“Although I have a place for him being sick, it doesn’t change the fact that I lost my son in a horribly violent way,” Lori Brown said. “I could come face to face on the street with my son’s killer. It’s a scary, scary thought.”

The stabbing

The stabbing happened on May 1, 2017.

“I was on the phone with Harrison. We were talking about his day. He had just finished playing basketball with some friends at Gregory Gym,” on the University of Texas at Austin campus Brown said. “We said ‘goodbye, I love you,’ and 10 minutes later, the phone rang.”

Brown said she heard the voice of a young woman on the other line.

“I will never forget those words as long as I live.”

Lori Brown

“She said there is blood profusely coming out of his chest, he has been stabbed,” Brown said.

Police said three other people were injured in the stabbing.

White found not guilty by reason of insanity

A grand jury indicted White on one count of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

When it came time to face a jury, the judge instead began court proceedings accepting White’s plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, according to previous KXAN reporting, and both the defense and prosecution signed off on the judgment. Bill Bishop, a prosecutor on the case, said once all mental experts involved in the proceedings found White to be “insane,” this legal outcome was “expected.”

Kendrex White in Court_473024
An image of Kendrex White in court after the 2017 stabbing. (KXAN Photo)

Doctor Maureen Burrows, who evaluated White, said he had schizoeffective disorder. The Mayo Clinic explains the illness as involving symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, depression and hypomania. Previous KXAN reports state White said he heard voices and at times thought he was Jesus.

White then went to the state hospital in Vernon, before ultimately getting transferred to the state hospital in Kerrville.

“I have no sympathy or empathy for Harrison’s murderer,” Brown said after the court’s ruling. “And I hope and pray he will never have an opportunity to harm another person.”

In a jailhouse interview with an NBC affiliate after the stabbing, White said he felt “invisible” the day of the stabbing and that no one acknowledged him when he pulled out the knife. He said shortly after he pulled it out, his memory went blank, and he doesn’t recall stabbing anyone.

In Texas, when someone is found not guilty by reason of insanity, they will not be tried again on the original crime. This is different from a case where someone is found incompetent to stand trial, rehabilitates, and then goes through the criminal justice process. While White’s attorney said the courts will still monitor his outpatient care, he will not face a jury again.

About Harrison Brown

“That’s one of my favorite things,” Lori Brown said when we asked her to share memories of her son. “He was always happy he had so many friends all kinds of friends. Everybody loved Harrison.”

Reporter speaking with Brown's mother
KXAN spoke with Harrison’s mother Lori at her cottage. (KXAN Photo)

The family is from Graham, which is south of Wichita Falls. He ran cross country in high school and was part of The Ransom Notes, UT’s a capella group.

“There was a note on his dorm that said Harrison is the guy who would always sing in the bathroom, and people would go by just to hear him sing,” Brown said.

After all evidence was collected, Brown was eventually able to retrieve her son’s belongings from campus. One of those items was Harrison’s backpack.

“There were some treasures in there. Some make me laugh. Some make me cry. And I still have the backpack and everything in it,” she said.

That includes a very special piece of paper. “He had five goals he jotted down, and little pictures next to each one,” his mother said.

An edited image depicting a list of goals Harrison Brown had written down. (Original image courtesy Lori A. Brown)

“His goals were to make music he loved music. To produce, work in film. To be happy, and to find a cure for ALS,” Brown said. Harrison’s father was battling ALS while Harrison was at UT and passed away shortly after Harrison did.

While reading the note makes Brown smile, it also reminds her of what she’s lost.

“His goals, his heart, his dreams. All of that was ripped away.”

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