AUSTIN (KXAN) The man who was declared not guilty due to insanity for the 2017 stabbing of University of Texas student Harrison Brown might soon be released from a state mental facility.

A hearing scheduled for Wednesday will determine if Kendrex White has made enough progress to transition to outpatient care. White’s lawyer did not provide any comments but noted that if White moves to outpatient treatment, the court will continue to oversee the situation.

The Travis County District Attorney’s Office issued a statement expressing opposition to White’s release, insisting that he should stay in inpatient care “for the safety of our community.”

Lori Brown, the mother of Harrison, mentioned that White would be released into Bexar County. KXAN is waiting for further details from the court regarding the location.

“Although I recognize his illness, it doesn’t change that I lost my son in a terribly violent manner,” Lori Brown stated. “The idea that I could come across my son’s attacker on the street is terrifying.”

The stabbing

The stabbing happened on May 1, 2017.

“I was talking with Harrison over the phone. He had just finished a game of basketball with friends at Gregory Gym on the University of Texas at Austin campus,” Brown recalled. “We said ‘goodbye, I love you,’ and then, just 10 minutes after, I got a phone call.”

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

“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.”

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.”

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.

“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.”