The man accused of the murderous rampage that left six people dead in the Alger area Sept. 2 was seen by state Department of Corrections evaluators as having a low risk of violent conduct and capable of handling his aggression.

Records provided to the Skagit Valley Herald by the corrections agency also showed Isaac L. Zamora, the man charged with the slayings, to be impulsive, unwilling to change his behavior and unable to see the connection between his actions and their consequences.

When he emerged from Skagit County Jail on Aug. 6 after serving 6 months on a drug conviction, Zamora was under a judge’s order to undergo a mental health evaluation. But it was left to Zamora to schedule the appointment and find the money to pay for it.

The order did not specify a deadline that Zamora would have to meet for complying with the order.

The Department of Corrections (DOC) is sifting through Zamora’s extensive history of criminal conduct occurring over a more than 10-year period before the six Sept. 2 murders and four assaults for which the 28-year-old man is charged.

In the aftermath of the slayings, Gov. Christine Gregoire ordered an independent committee review of Zamora’s background, led by Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs President Colleen Wilson and Clark County Prosecuting Attorney Art Curtis. The committee began that review Sept. 4 and was given 10 business days to return a report to Gregoire.

Prior to Zamora’s arrest for the slayings, he was reporting to a community supervisor in Mount Vernon. A judge had ordered that Zamora receive an evaluation and comply with any recommended treatment. The order did not specify a date by which the evaluation must be completed.

Additionally, Zamora was responsible for paying for or acquiring money from the Department of Social and Health Services for his evaluation and scheduling the appointment. The DOC supervised Zamora and gave him contacts, but did not have responsibility for scheduling the appointment.

DOC Spokeswoman Maria Peterson said it appears that Zamora and his supervisor were working to find money for the assessment and schedule it simultaneously. But ultimately the DOC does not schedule the appointment.

“The bottom line is, the court requires the defendant to arrange for the assessments,” Peterson said. “Our job is to make sure it happens, not necessarily make the appointment.”

Peterson noted that the DOC had Zamora on its caseload for a very short period.

After Zamora was released from jail on Aug. 6, he met with his supervisor twice, on Aug. 12 and Aug. 20. According to DOC records, he and his supervisor discussed his mental health issues and getting an evaluation scheduled. Zamora declined to go through a jail transition program.

“I will do everything on my own,” Zamora said according to court documents. “I don’t need them.”

He also declined to visit Compass Health, claiming that the facility takes care of “white trash.”

In his second meeting on Aug. 20, Zamora was still working on scheduling an evaluation and counseling and trying to get DSHS financial assistance.

DOC conducted two assessments on Zamora prior to Sept. 1, one which evaluates the risk of committing another crime and another based on his needs and strengths to handle those needs while he is under DOC’s supervision. The studies were based on 21 convictions the DOC has on file.

The risk assessment determined that Zamora was a high risk for committing another felony, but a low risk for a violent crime.

DOC Program Administrator Anna Aylward said the risk assessment is based only on Zamora’s criminal background, and not on any face-to-face interviews.

The data compared Zamora’s background to other patterns in Washington state, she said, and based on his past behavior he was considered a low risk for violent crime.

“When we’re talking about risk assessments, sometimes that static history just doesn’t address independent dramatic factors,” Aylward said.

Zamora’s supervisor conducted a needs assessment based on personal interviews. The assessment includes various categories and pre-set check boxes, examining his involvement with friends, support structures and personal awareness of his actions and situation.

In that study, Zamora was described as impulsive and unwilling to change. It said he does not see the connection between his actions and the consequences. It also listed mental health concerns and chemical dependency.

The assessment lists what areas need the most work. Zamora had trouble with his friends, attitudes, behaviors, employment, coping skills and drug use, according to the test.

“It came out that he’s a bit of a loner,” Aylward said. “He’s isolated.”

It also listed his skills and resources that would help in his treatment. The assessment noted that he has family support and public assistance, and also that he showed “no threatening, aggressive or violent behaviors ever.”

Among his skills, his ability to handle aggression was listed highest.

Aylward said this merely meant that at assessment time, “he was managing himself pretty well.”

Zamora’s mother, Dennise Zamora, did not want to discuss his mental health background while the victims of the crime are still being memorialized in services across the county.

“Our struggles regarding the mental health system for our son is just going to have to be put on hold until we honor all of these people,” Dennise Zamora said.

Aaron Burkhalter can be reached at 360-416-2141 or .