Doctor Will Plead Insanity

Fri., May 1, 1998

From Staff

An emergency room doctor charged with the ax murder of his wife will plead innocent by reason of insanity or diminished mental capacity, his lawyer said Thursday.

Notice of the plea was filed by David Allen in Clallam County Superior Court on behalf of Dr. Bruce Rowan, 34, charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Deborah.

Prosecutors say Rowan killed her with an ax and a baseball bat at their home near Port Angeles on March 1, the day a $500,000 life insurance policy on her took effect, and staged a car accident to conceal the cause of death.

The trial is scheduled to begin July 13.

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