A Lane County tree trimmer who was stabbed nine times while working on a public street in Springfield has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the State of Oregon, Oregon State Hospital, and the Oregon Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB), claiming they are responsible for allowing his attacker to be out on the streets.
Jeffrey Collins filed the lawsuit Monday, alleging personal injury by negligence and demanding a jury trial. According to the complaint, the state failed to properly supervise or treat 44-year-old Thomas Murphy, who stabbed Collins in January 2024 near Centennial Boulevard and North Ninth Street, leaving him with severe injuries including a collapsed lung.
The lawsuit details a disturbing pattern of violent behavior and mental health crises involving Murphy, dating back at least a decade. In 2014, Murphy was charged with attempted murder after attacking two women with a pickaxe and a sledgehammer. Despite the seriousness of the crimes, he was found to be suffering from a mental illness and, instead of serving a 30-year prison sentence, was placed under PSRB supervision and committed to a state mental health facility…