June 17th Set for Continued Hearing on Natalie Godin’s Psychological Evaluation and Supervised Conditional Release

With the County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office having agreed to accept Natalie Godin’s Not Guilty by Reason of Temporary Insanity plea in the death of her 71-year-old next-door neighbor, Paul “P.J.” Washington, the court and involved legal parties worked toward determining a hearing date with testimony as necessary from two medical facility staff members involved in the court-ordered psychological evaluations of the defendant. Discussion at the May 5th hearing indicated Godin was first examined at Central State Hospital, and more recently at Eastern State Hospital, where she is currently housed. She was present through a remote connection from Eastern State.

It was noted in Tuesday’s hearing that despite some potentially crucial disagreements in their psychological evaluations, both medical facilities’ diagnoses agreed that Godin needed “further incarceration” due to her psychological condition.

After some discussion on the availability of both legal and medical personnel, the next hearing date was set for June 17 on the morning docket of Warren County Circuit Court. That date follows a June 5 date set for receipt of all materials relevant to the case and the diagnosis received from psychiatric analysis at the Eastern State and Central State medical facilities. Judge Dennis L. Hupp remains presiding over the case.

During this hearing, Judge Hupp recommended that the case be referred to the local Social Services Department for a release evaluation. All assessments agreed Godin’s eventual release would be conditional upon ongoing analysis of her state of mind.

Godin, 45, was initially charged with killing her 71-year-old neighbor, Paul “PJ” Washington, in her home on Hill Street, as well as assaulting responding emergency services and law enforcement units. Washington is said to have been in frail health, and he was required to carry oxygen with him at all times.

A file RSW Jail mugshot of Natalie Godin in the wake of her initial arrest on a murder charge of her long-time neighbor ‘P.J. Washington, as well as assualt charges on first responders.

During earlier hearings, defense counsel Peter Greenspun had produced evidence that Godin and Washington had been long-term next-door neighbors with a positive, friendly relationship. Part of that evidence was video surveillance footage from the front of Godin’s home showing her leading Washington through her doorway by hand while telling him to come inside on the day of his death. Defense counsel Greenspun told the court that this evidence showed that Godin did not intend to kill Washington. As prosecutors for the Commonwealth have pointed out in moving forward with the Temporary Insanity plea, intent to kill is required to prove murder charges. Members of Godin’s family have noted a significant shift in public perceptions of Natalie Godin over the past year.

As initially reported, on April 22, 2025, Godin’s husband, Michael Lancomb, entered their home to find her beside Washington, who was lying on the floor by the foyer, naked and covered with water, according to the prosecution’s evidence. Washington appeared to be deceased by the time Lancomb arrived, according to evidence.

Controversy surrounded the fact that at the time of her husband’s entry and move to make a 911-emergency call, Washington appeared to be dead, with his eyes intact. When emergency services gained access, Washington’s eyes had been removed.

Medical vs. Legal evidence

A state medical examiner ruled Washington’s death a homicide caused by medical complications, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, during what at the time was believed to be an assault. However, the medical examiner also indicated that he could not determine if the other injuries to Washington, notably the removal of his eyes and the water with which he had been drenched, even if it appeared to have been forced into his mouth, occurred before or after his death.

Many questions about the circumstances of Washington’s April 2025 visit to Godin’s home and death there remain to be publicly answered. Was the scene discovered by authorities the result of a psychologically challenged woman dealing with the culmination of her neighbor’s severe health issues in her presence, or something more sinister?

The former may be the case indicated from the Commonwealth’s acceptance of Natalie Godin’s  Innocent by Temporary Insanity plea and court movement toward medically supported “conditional release” terms decided by ongoing medical/psychological oversight or supervised probation, as opposed to a possibly lost murder conviction with no ongoing oversight of the former defendant.