Relatives of the individual implicated in the Beanie Babies mansion assault declined that they anticipated warning law enforcement authorities several days prior to the event.
Family of Accused Assailant in Ty Warner's California Mansion Allege Unheeded Warnings
Wednesday, family members of Russell Phay, the man accused of violently attacking Linda Malek-Aslanian at the California mansion of Beanie Babies billionaire Ty Warner, publicized that they had repeatedly attempted to alert authorities of Phay's potential for violence in the days leading up to the assault.
Speaking to NBC News, Phay's family stated that from May 19 onwards, they contacted the Colorado Department of Corrections multiple times with fears of Phay harming someone. "We left multiple messages expressing our concern that Russell was in crisis," the family stated, referencing the agency responsible for parolees in the state.
These concerns stemmed from Phay's long-standing struggle with severe schizophrenia, which, they asserted, transformed him from a kind, affectionate child into an unstable and occasionally violent individual no longer recognizable.
The family explained that due to Phay's erratic behavior, many of them had distanced themselves for their own safety. However, even in their estrangement, they made efforts to intervene when signs of crisis appeared.
Weeks before the California attack, the family started receiving worrisome phone calls from Phay. Although he did not make any explicit threats, a sibling shared that the calls were disconcerting due to their lack of context and Phay's altered state of mind. This led the family to reach out to authorities.
However, the family claimed they never received a response from the Colorado Department of Corrections, learning of Phay's arrest only when he contacted a family member from jail on Sunday, four days after the attack at Warner's home.
The Colorado Department of Corrections did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
The family expressed dismay that their attempts to sound the alarm were overlooked, stating, "This tragedy might have been preventable, and we are devastated that our efforts to warn authorities went unanswered."
According to court documents and public records, Phay boasts a criminal history spanning multiple states, including guilty pleas for assault, stalking, and menacing. In Colorado, he was ordered to remain on parole for two years after serving a 512-day prison sentence in 2021 for what appears to be one of his most recent cases in that state. It is unclear whether Phay was on parole when the California attack occurred.
Representatives for Warner have not responded to requests for comment, nor have relatives of Malek-Aslanian.
In the statement, Phay's family expressed their sympathy for Malek-Aslanian, her family, and all affected by the senseless act of violence. They also mourned not only for the victim and her loved ones but also for the brother they once knew and the system that continues to fail families like theirs.
- The family's concerns about Phay's potential violence in relation to mental health were rooted in his long-standing battle with schizophrenia, which affected his behavior and demeanor.
- In addition to general news and crime and justice, this incident also sheds light on the importance of addressing mental health issues within the health-and-wellness sector.
- The family's statements suggest that science, specifically in understanding and managing mental health conditions like schizophrenia, could potentially play a role in the prevention of such tragedies in the future.
