Crime in Oregon explained

The rate of crime in Oregon, at least since 1985, has varied from below the United States national average to slightly above, depending on if one is looking at violent crime or property crime statistics. The violent crime rate remained below the national average every year between 1985 and 2022, while property crime generally remained above the average during that time. Every year between 2011 and 2020, Oregon maintained one of the 20 lowest violent crime rates in the United States.[1] However, some of the most notorious serial killers in U.S. history were known for killing or operating in Oregon, including perhaps the most famous, Ted Bundy, as well as the second most prolific in terms of confirmed murders, Gary Ridgway, among many others.

Crime statistics (1960–2009)

Reported cases of crime in the state of Oregon between 1960 and 2009:[2]

Year Population Index Violent Property Murder Forcible rape Robbery Aggravated
assault 		Burglary Larceny
theft 		Vehicle
theft
1960 1,768,687 34,970 1,232 33,738 43 166 563 460 7,175 24,252 2,311
1961 1,799,000 36,000 1,242 34,758 48 138 626 430 7,276 24,983 2,499
1962 1,864,000 38,364 1,461 36,903 54 174 714 519 8,268 25,871 2,764
1963 1,826,000 40,362 1,393 38,969 55 161 554 623 8,823 27,023 3,123
1964 1,871,000 47,438 2,009 45,429 34 225 703 1,047 10,727 30,812 3,890
1965 1,899,000 52,376 2,290 50,086 65 226 873 1,126 12,079 34,161 3,846
1966 1,955,000 58,400 2,470 55,930 53 247 895 1,275 13,394 37,840 4,696
1967 1,999,000 69,268 3,147 66,121 61 248 1,317 1,521 17,140 43,515 5,466
1968 2,008,000 74,978 3,955 71,023 64 346 1,536 2,009 18,978 46,612 5,433
1969 2,032,000 85,543 4,527 81,016 81 371 1,760 2,315 22,853 51,692 6,471
1970 2,091,385 98,048 5,373 92,675 97 377 2,144 2,755 26,632 59,082 6,961
1971 2,158,000 106,601 6,335 100,266 70 478 2,383 3,404 28,933 63,543 7,790
1972 2,182,000 110,156 6,494 103,662 119 574 2,390 3,411 32,049 63,178 8,435
1973 2,225,000 117,860 6,512 111,348 110 653 2,211 3,538 35,772 66,494 9,082
1974 2,266,000 143,772 8,326 135,446 127 732 2,964 4,503 41,766 83,060 10,620
1975 2,288,000 154,491 10,034 144,457 142 745 2,982 6,165 43,738 90,053 10,666
1976 2,329,000 148,097 10,654 137,443 97 829 3,091 6,637 39,587 88,661 9,195
1977 2,376,000 142,256 10,830 131,426 117 948 2,948 6,817 38,880 83,306 9,240
1978 2,444,000 148,483 12,278 136,205 123 1,008 3,204 7,943 39,523 87,033 9,649
1979 2,527,000 161,045 13,781 147,264 107 1,121 3,299 9,254 40,682 96,823 9,759
1980 2,610,477 174,561 12,802 161,759 132 1,084 3,978 7,608 45,641 106,712 9,406
1981 2,647,000 186,267 12,671 173,596 117 1,105 4,780 6,669 52,067 112,518 9,011
1982 2,649,000 173,973 12,529 161,444 136 1,057 4,433 6,903 47,410 106,061 7,973
1983 2,662,000 166,398 12,986 153,412 109 1,078 4,533 7,266 46,472 98,880 8,060
1984 2,674,000 166,956 13,533 153,423 128 1,201 4,508 7,696 48,755 96,742 7,926
1985 2,687,000 180,830 14,807 166,023 125 1,363 4,986 8,333 50,690 105,725 9,608
1986 2,698,000 191,037 14,830 176,207 178 1,379 5,555 7,718 53,062 112,312 10,833
1987 2,724,000 189,835 14,697 175,138 153 1,247 5,338 7,959 48,562 113,907 12,669
1988 2,741,000 193,479 14,959 178,520 139 1,111 5,289 8,420 48,355 113,872 16,293
1989 2,820,000 173,744 14,625 159,119 134 1,314 4,282 8,895 40,197 103,690 15,232
1990 2,842,321 160,478 14,405 146,073 108 1,332 4,102 8,863 32,273 100,765 13,035
1991 2,922,000 168,165 14,795 153,370 133 1,561 4,387 8,714 34,363 105,145 13,862
1992 2,977,000 173,289 15,189 158,100 139 1,580 4,507 8,963 32,945 109,274 15,881
1993 3,032,000 174,812 15,254 159,558 140 1,554 3,930 9,630 31,072 110,878 17,608
1994 3,086,000 194,307 16,067 178,240 150 1,333 4,264 10,320 33,970 122,506 21,764
1995 3,141,000 206,173 16,408 189,765 129 1,309 4,332 10,638 34,640 133,075 22,050
1996 3,204,000 192,132 14,837 177,295 129 1,272 3,914 9,522 31,664 128,618 17,013
1997 3,243,000 203,328 14,412 188,916 95 1,306 3,811 9,200 33,507 136,129 19,280
1998 3,282,000 185,323 13,778 171,545 126 1,307 3,452 8,893 30,442 123,841 17,262
1999 3,316,154 165,866 12,432 153,434 88 1,219 2,858 8,267 26,749 113,052 13,633
2000 3,421,399 165,780 12,000 153,780 70 1,286 2,888 7,756 25,618 114,230 13,932
2001 3,473,441 175,174 10,650 164,524 84 1,174 2,749 6,643 26,648 123,034 14,842
2002 3,520,355 171,443 10,298 161,145 73 1,238 2,742 6,246 25,696 118,925 16,524
2003 3,564,330 180,369 10,506 169,863 68 1,218 2,847 6,373 28,562 122,327 18,974
2004 3,591,363 177,199 10,724 166,475 90 1,283 2,751 6,600 30,072 117,868 18,535
2005 3,638,871 170,643 10,444 160,199 80 1,266 2,478 6,620 27,621 113,316 19,262
2006 3,700,758 145,168 10,373 135,895 86 1,195 2,689 6,403 23,879 97,556 14,460
2007 3,747,455 142,920 10,777 132,143 73 1,255 2,862 6,587 22,821 94,773 14,549
2008 3,790,060 134,144 9,747 124,397 82 1,156 2,641 5,868 20,879 92,187 11,311
2009 3,825,657 123,255 9,744 113,511 85 1,168 2,461 6,030 19,377 84,265 9,869

Capital punishment laws

The Oregon Constitution originally had no provision for a death penalty. A statute was enacted in 1864 allowing for the death penalty in cases of first degree murder. Authority to conduct executions was initially granted to local sheriffs, but in 1903, the Oregon Legislative Assembly passed a law requiring all executions to be conducted at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem, the first state prison in Oregon which opened in 1866.[3]

Oregon voters amended the Constitution in 1914 to repeal the death penalty, with 50.04% of the vote. The repeal was an initiative of Governor Oswald West.[4] The death penalty was restored, again by constitutional amendment, in 1920.[3]

Initially, all executions were performed by hanging; lethal gas was adopted as the method after 1931.[3]

Voters outlawed the death penalty in the general election of 1964, with 60% of the vote. Governor Mark Hatfield commuted the sentences of three death row inmates two days later.[3]

Notable cases

Criminals

NameLifespanCrime(s)Notes
19492016MurderConvicted of the murder of Kaye Turner and a settlement was reached for the murder of his stepdaughter Rachanda Pickle. He is believed to have been involved in the disappearance of other girls and women, collectively called the Ghosts of Highway 20.[5]
18111859MurderConvicted of murdering his son-in-law, Mortimer Stump, in 1859; was the first person executed by hanging in Portland.[6]
18931932Criminal syndicalismSoviet Russian communist sentenced to ten years imprisonment.[7]
19711999Serial murderBorn in Ashland, but did not commit any known murders in Oregon; convicted of murders in Washington, North and South Carolina[8]
19392006Serial murder, necrophiliaCommitted multiple murders in Portland and Salem regions[9]
19461989Serial murder, rape Born in Vermont; confirmed to have abducted and murdered one female from the Oregon State University campus in 1974.[10] Potentially responsible for additional unknown murders.[11]
19302002Murder, robberyCharged in 1963 robbery and murder of a police officer in California; subject of an extradition dispute between Oregon and California, but died before being extradited.[12]
1963Serial murderConvicted of two homicides in Portland in 1993, and suspected in at least 20 others in the Pacific Northwest. Paroled in 2013.[13]
1955Murder, attempted murderShot and killed daughter in rural Springfield; attempted to kill her two other children.[14]
19011968RacketeeringPortland mobster and crime boss.[15]
18951979MurderConvicted of murder in Oregon; escaped, and was later transferred to Alcatraz Island.[16]
1858unknownForgeryLawyer convicted of forgery in Oregon and California; falsely claimed to be Oregon Attorney General. Later arrested in Harlem, New York City and Washington, D.C.[17]
1955Serial murderAlso known as the "Happy Face Killer"; committed at least two murders in Oregon, and is serving life sentence at Oregon State Penitentiary.[18]
1982Spree killingMurdered parents before committing 1998 1998 Thurston High School shooting; killed 2 students and injured 25.[19]
Charity Lamb1879MurderFirst woman convicted of murder in Oregon Territory.[20]
1932Serial murderConvicted of murdering and dismembering three women in Portland in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the first person ever to be added as an eleventh name on the FBI Ten Most Wanted List.[21]
19411997MurderSecond person executed in the state of Oregon since 1978 for murders of Thomas Lauri and Barbara Cunningham.[22]
1953Serial murderMurdered at least 6 women near Molalla between 1983 and 1987. Also known as the "Molalla Forest Killer."[23]
1963MurderCommitted 2002 murders of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis in Oregon City.[24]
1950Serial murder, rape, robberyCommitted multiple crimes along Interstate 5 in Oregon, Washington, and California; estimated to have murdered over 44 people.[25]
19401996Serial murderFirst criminal executed by lethal injection in Oregon. Lured three homeless men to Warm Springs Indian Reservation and murdered them in 1993; confessed to the murder of fourth homeless man. Also committed double murder in 1969 in Portland.[26]

Crimes

Year(s)Incident / victim(s)Location(s)Notes
1844Murder of George LeBretonOregon CityMassachusetts-born pioneer and Oregon politician killed in the Cockstock Incident.[27]
1887Hells Canyon MassacreMassacre of thirty-four Chinese goldminers by members of a white horse gang.[28]
18951905Sheepshooters' WarCrook CountyRange war between cattle men and sheepherders. Resulted in the killing of over 10,000 sheep and several farmers.[29]
1924Lava Lake murdersDeschutes National ForestTriple-murder of three fur trappers near Big Lava Lake; one of the oldest unsolved murder cases in Oregon history.[30]
1946Oak Grove Jane DoeOak GroveUnidentified unsolved murder; victim discovered dismembered in the Willamette River over a six-month period.[31]
1949Murder of Thelma TaylorPortlandTeenage murder victim abducted and killed in St. Johns. Her killer, Morris Leland, was executed for her murder in 1953.[32]
1974Cowden family murdersCopperFamily of four murdered while camping in the Siskiyou Mountains; murders remain unsolved.[33]
1974Murder of Martha MorrisonPortlandTeenage murder victim who disappeared in Portland in 1974. Remains discovered in late 1974 in Vancouver, Washington, but were unidentified until 2015. Murder unsolved.[34]
1984Rajneeshee bioterror attackThe DallesFollowers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh deliberately contaminated various eateries with Salmonella, resulting in 751 infections and 45 hospitalizations.[35]
1988Murder of Mulugeta SerawPortlandEthiopian immigrant murdered by three white supremacists; Kenneth Murray Mieske, Kyle Brewster, and Steve Strasser were convicted of his murder in 1990.[36]
1989Murder of Michael FranckeSalemDirector of the Oregon Department of Corrections, stabbed to death outside department building. Murder remains unsolved.[37]
1995Murders of Roxanne Ellis and Michelle AbdillMedfordHate crime murder of lesbian couple. Robert Acremant convicted of their murders and sentenced to death in 1996; sentence later reduced to life without parole.[38]
2004Murder of Brooke WilbergerCorvallisOne of the most publicized murder investigations in Oregon history. Joel Patrick Courtney was convicted of her murder in 2009.[39]
2012Clackamas Town Center shootingPortlandMass shooting at Clackamas Town Center shopping mall; resulted in three deaths (including the perpetrator).[40]
20152015 Umpqua Community College shootingRoseburgDeadliest mass-shooting in Oregon history; 10 deaths (including perpetrator) and 8 injuries.[41]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Trend of Violent Crime from 1985 to 2022 . FBI Crime Data Explorer . Federal Bureau of Investigation . November 17, 2023.
  2. http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/orcrime.htm www.disastercenter.com
  3. Web site: History of Capital Punishment in Oregon. Oregon.gov. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20060616183816/http://www.oregon.gov/DOC/PUBAFF/cap_punishment/history.shtml#N_2_. June 16, 2006.
  4. Book: Horner , John B. . Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature. 1919. Press of the Gazette-Times. 313.
  5. News: Crombie . Noelle . December 31, 2016 . Inmate convicted in notorious Christmas jogger murder found dead in cell . en . The Oregonian . September 16, 2021.
  6. Book: McArthur, Lewis A. . Lewis A. McArthur . Lewis L. McArthur . Lewis L. McArthur . . 1928 . 7th . 2003 . Oregon Historical Society Press . Portland, Oregon. 0-87595-277-1 . 46–47.
  7. Book: MacColl, E. Kimbark. The Growth of a City: Power and Politics in Portland, Oregon, 1915–1950. 1979. Georgian Press. Portland. 0960340815. 394.
  8. Web site: Crime Feed. Crime History: Serial Killer Dallen Bounds Killed Four Victims, Then Shot Himself. August 9, 2017. Townsend, Catherine. Investigation Discovery. March 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180323155859/http://crimefeed.com/2017/08/dallen-bounds/. March 23, 2018. dead.
  9. Holmes, Ronald M.. Sequential Predation: Elements of serial fatal victimization. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity. 4. 1. January 1997. 33–42. 10.1080/10720169708400129.
  10. Web site: Federal Bureau of Investigation. FBI.gov. FBI Records: The Vault: Ted Bundy. March 22, 2018.
  11. Book: Keppel. Robert D.. Michaud. Stephen G.. Terrible Secrets: Ted Bundy on Serial Murder. 2011. Authorlink Press. Irving, Texas. Enhanced E-Book. 978-1-928704-97-3. 337.
  12. Web site: San Francisco Chronicle. Paying for the past / States argue over fate of man convicted of murder in California, considered rehabilitated by Oregon. Zamora, Jim Herron. April 27, 2001. March 22, 2018.
  13. Web site: KPTV. Police: Convicted killer released in McMinnville violated his parole. August 28, 2013. March 22, 2018. March 30, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170330174751/http://www.kptv.com/story/23282348/police-convicted-killer-released-in-mcminnville-violated-his-parole. dead.
  14. Web site: Diane Downs: Her Children Got in the Way of Her Love' . . May 28, 2015 . Geringer, Joseph. https://web.archive.org/web/20090304212650/http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/famous/downs/5b.html . March 4, 2009 . dead.
  15. Book: Donnelly, Robert C.. Dark Rose: Organized Crime and Corruption in Portland . 2011. University of Washington Press. Seattle. 978-0-295-99111-5. 60–62.
  16. Book: Simpson, Paul. The Mammoth Book of Prison Breaks. Hachette Book Group. 2013. n.p.. 978-1-472-10024-5. 863221636. London.
  17. News: A Slick Swindler. Weekly Oregon Statesman. Portland. February 23, 1900. 7. Newspapers.com.
  18. Kreuger, Peggy; Kendra Justice & Amy Hunt (March 2006). "Keith Hunter Jesperson: Happy Face Killer" (PDF). Radford University Department of Psychology. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  19. Web site: The Killer at Thurston High: Who is Kip Kinkel?. PBS. Frontline. June 24, 2007.
  20. Web site: Charity Lamb (?-1879). Lansing. Ronald B.. March 17, 2018. oregonencyclopedia.org. July 26, 2019.
  21. Book: Rule, Ann. A Rose for Her Grave and Other True Cases. 1993. Simon and Schuster. 978-0-671-79353-1. Rehabilitation of a Monster. 441–75.
  22. Web site: The New York Times. Oregon Executes a Killer. March 22, 2018. May 17, 1997. Associated Press.
  23. Web site: Oregon Serial Killer Must Be Resentenced. May 5, 2000. Associated Press. The New York Times. March 22, 2018.
  24. Web site: Los Angeles Times. Behavior May Leave a Mark on Genes. February 9, 2018. Hotz, Robert Lee . Johnson, John. 28 June 2003 .
  25. Sports Illustrated. November 21, 2016. The I-5 Killer. February 9, 2018. Wertheim, L. John.
  26. Web site: Oregon and South Carolina Execute Killers. The New York Times. September 7, 1996. Associated Press. March 22, 2018.
  27. A Brief History of the Oregon Provisional Government and What Caused Its Formation. The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society. Holman, Frederick V.. 13. 2. June 1912. 89–139. 20609900.
  28. Web site: The New York Times. Files Found in Oregon Detail Massacre of Chinese. August 20, 1995. March 22, 2018. Associated Press.
  29. Book: Tupper, Melany. Central Oregon Books. The Sandy Knoll Murder, Legacy of the Sheepshooters. 2–20, 75. 2010. 978-0-983-16912-3.
  30. News: After 37 years, Lava Lake case unsolved. The Bend Bulletin. August 2, 1961. 9. LeBlanc, Suzi. Google News.
  31. Web site: KOIN. Unsolved: The Case of the 1946 Willamette River torso. February 28, 2017. March 21, 2018. Gianola, Jeff. https://archive.today/20180323010200/http://www.koin.com/news/unsolved-the-case-of-the-1946-willamette-river-torso_20171130084735662/870067267. March 23, 2018. dead.
  32. News: Oregon's Next Executions Set. Eugene Register-Guard. January 5, 1953. September 19, 2013. 7A. Google News.
  33. Book: Rule, Ann. Ann Rule. But I Trusted You, and Other Case Files. Simon and Schuster. New York. 2009. 978-1-439-16054-1. 425.
  34. News: Gillespie. Emily. Remains of homicide victim found near Vancouver identified after 41 years. March 21, 2018. The Columbian. July 13, 2015.
  35. Book: Urbano, Mary Theresa . The Complete Bioterrorism Survival Guide . Sentient Publications . 2006 . 60–61 . 1-59181-051-5 .
  36. News: Assets of White Supremacist Are Target of Legal Maneuver . The New York Times . December 25, 1990 . March 22, 2018.
  37. News: The Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. Defense seeks delay in Francke case. 5B. October 6, 1990. Google News.
  38. Web site: State of Oregon v. Robert Acremant . July 31, 2007 . March 17, 2005 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070808101839/http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/S44772.htm . August 8, 2007 .
  39. Web site: Netter . Sarah . ABC News . Brooke Wilberger Found: Killer Gives Location of Remains to Avoid Death Penalty . September 21, 2009.
  40. News: Johnston. Ian. Raftery. Isolde. Two people shot to death at mall in Portland, Oregon; gunman also dies. December 11, 2012. NBC News. December 19, 2012.
  41. News: Jackson. Derrick Z.. The shameful irony of Ore. mass shooting. The Boston Globe. October 2, 2015 . October 2, 2015.

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