SPOKANE, Wash. -
The man police believe shot and killed Doug Carlile inside his South Hill home December 15th has a criminal history in Spokane dating back 30 years, court records show. But what may reveal more about the suspected murderer, Timothy E. Suckow, 50, is his mental health history.
Court records show Suckow was roughly 30 years old before he "became a competent adult" and "functional human being" after taking psychotropic medication for a "hereditary birth mental illness" and "Bipolar manic-depression."
However, before he turned 30, records show Suckow burglarized a Spokane restaurant on E. 3rd and a home in Otis Orchards on N. Campbell in 1982, and he was sentenced to a combined 9 months in jail.
In 1983, a "violent psychotic disturbance" led him to destroy his apartment on N. Colton before he was involuntarily admitted to Sacred Heart Medical Center. There, staff made disturbing notes about Suckow's "history of explosive anger, history of devil worshipping, history of self-destructive behavior, suicidal risk, paranoid ideations…" and quoted Suckow himself as saying "…I'm always hearing voices (Satan talking to me) to kill myself or cut myself up…"
A year later, police noted his condition was only getting worse and that he spoke of being possessed by a demon. The documents go on to detail a pattern of being jailed, evaluated for mental health, and being discharged to jail once again.
Washington State criminal records show Suckow hasn't been arrested in the state since 1984, and was convicted of two felony burglaries and a misdemeanor theft in 1983, 1982 and 1984, respectively. Federal court records show Suckow had 7 federal cases from 1993-1995, however because the records are so dated there is very limited information readily available.
Suckow essentially fell off the map, legally speaking, in Washington after 1995 – until he was arrested Monday night, charged with the murder of Doug Carlile, a Spokane husband, father and grandfather.
Timothy E. Suckow, 50, was arrested for 1st Degree Murder of Doug Carlile
