I know that not everyone will agree
with my decision, but I hope it is
a further step towards finality
in this conversation.
We begin with a developing
story here at 5:00 o'clock
surrounding Oregon's death penalty.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced
she will grant clemency to all
of Oregon's death row inmates.
Thank you for joining us.
I'm Laurel Porter.
And I'm David Molko.
The move means the governor plans
to commute their sentences to life
in prison without the possibility
of parole before she leaves office.
Let's bring in Kyle Oboshi in The
Newsroom with the details here. Kyle,
that clemency order takes effect
on Wednesday, and we'll leave
the state without anyone facing.
Execution. With the stroke of a pen,
Oregon's governor will
effectively clear death row.
The 17 inmates currently awaiting
execution in Oregon will have their
sentences commuted to life in prison
without the possibility of parole. So
I believe that there are many
Oregonians that share my
values that it is inequitable,
immoral, and doesn't make sense
for the state to take a life,
particularly when it is irreversible.
Although the death penalty
is legal in Oregon,
the state hasn't executed anyone since 1997.
Throughout her seven years as Governor,
Kate Brown has continued a moratorium
on executions that her predecessor,
former Governor John Kitzhaber,
put in place.
Oregon's death penalty was further
curtailed in 2019 when Governor
Brown signed Senate Bill 1013,
which substantially shortened
the list of crimes that could
qualify as aggravated murder,
the only crime for which prosecutors.
To seek the death penalty in Oregon.
In an interview with KGW's Pat Doris,
Governor Brown explained her decision
to commute Oregon's death row.
A couple of things.
Number one, it is immoral.
Justice is not served by
the state taking a life.
Secondly, it's impact is inequitable
depending upon where you live in
the state and in this country.
And 3rd, it doesn't make sense.
It doesn't prevent violent
crime and it costs taxpayers.
Thousands, millions of dollars.
Brown's commutation means none of
Oregon's current death row inmates
could be executed even if a future
governor were to end the moratorium,
which is an unlikely scenario,
at least for the time being.
Governor elect Tina Kotek has said
she'll keep the moratorium in place.
Nationwide, 23 states have
abolished the death penalty,
while three states,
including Oregon have halted executions
through a governor imposed moratorium.
We're told the state has reached out
to victims families letting them know
that the killer sitting on death row
and facing execution will have their
sentence commuted to life in prison
without the possibility of parole.
And I imagine we're going to hear from
some of those families in the coming days.
Thank you, Kyle. Let's bring an
update now from Southeast Portland,
Cleveland high where classes
were cancelled today.
After a 16 year old student was shot
Monday afternoon outside the school,
now this is the third shooting
outside of Portland High School
in just the last three months.
Police say the teenager walked into
a local hospital with non life
threatening injuries expected to be OK,
but counselors and a student support
team are at the school today to
connect with any students who
want to talk about what happened.
Portland Public Schools Superintendent
also said in a statement in part quote,
we are hopeful that our city will
come together and work collectively
to resolve the gun violence.
Epidemic that is plaguing our community.
No word from police on any arrests.
A poker game turned violent,
adolescent or casino.
Four people were stabbed and
the suspect is now in custody
after a chase with police.
This all happened late last night and
what appears to be a random attack.
John Goodwin explains what went down.
It was late Monday night when
a game of poker turned into a
crime scene at a lacenter casino.
We had a bunch of agencies that responded.
Deputies from the Sheriff's Office,
Ridgefield Police Department, College,
tribal police all responded up there.
Multiple 911 calls came in just
before midnight for multiple stabbing
victims at the Last Frontier Casino
and what they found was a pretty kind
of rapidly unfolding scene where they
had multiple people out bleeding
and the suspect had apparently left,
Chris Skidmore with the Clark
County Sheriff's Office says.
According to witnesses,
the attack was completely unprovoked.
They say the suspect,
41 year old Scott Harmeyer of Vancouver,
stabbed 3 people at a poker
table with a hunting knife.
He then walked outside and
stabbed a fourth person in the
parking lot before driving off.
About 15 minutes later,
a Clark County deputy spotted
harmeyer's car on I-205.
They were able to get behind it.
They tried to stop it,
the vehicle fled so they initiated
a pursuit based on everything that
we had with that situation and that
pursuit went on for about 5 1/2 minutes,
they were able to take advantage
of the vehicle.
Slowing down they did a pursuit
immobilization technique,
which is essentially they spun the
car out in order to get it stopped.
The chase ended on Patton Parkway and
the suspect was taken into custody.
The last Frontier posted a statement to
their Facebook page Tuesday saying in part,
an unprovoked and surprise attack occurred
at our casino involving our customers.
The suspect in question is in custody with
the Clark County Sheriff's Department and
the Sheriff's Department is undertaking
an active investigation in the matter.
Harmeyer faces four felony counts
of first degree assault. All four.
Victims are expected to survive
three of them have already been
released from the hospital.
I think that's the important thing
is it looks like all the victims are
going to survive and and and you know
not have kind of sometime long term
deficit or anything related to that.
In less center John Goodwin KGW News
tonight a family is pleading for a
murder suspect accused of killing
his girlfriend to turn himself in
27 year old Catherine Muhlbach was
found dead Friday afternoon in Powell
Butte Nature Park her boyfriend 43
year old Jose Caraballo is accused.
Of her murder in Portland,
police say they think he has
left the area now.
We've showed you this photo of Kara
Bayo and his distinctive tattoos.
Authorities say he has family
connections into California and Mexico.
Today we spoke with Muhlbach's sister.
She says her family had just started to
understand how unhealthy in their words
the relationship between the two was.
We're hurting
and right now our focus
for Catherine is to find.
Jose and bring justice to her. For
her and for her, children's
family has started a GO fund me to help
support mailbox two young children.
Crime Stoppers is also offering
a $2500 reward for information
leading to Kara BIOS arrest.
Counties in Washington's third
Congressional District are getting
ready for a recount in the coming days.
Republican candidate Joe Kent
requested the recount after losing to
Democrat Marie glues. Encamp Perez,
the Secretary of State's office,
reported glues Encamp Perez won by 2600.
Close, which is not enough to
trigger an automatic recount.
So Ken's campaign has to pay for it.
Each county in the district will
have to participate in the process.
Get
an update this evening on Measure 114.
That is the one Oregon voters approved
last month requiring a permit to
purchase a gun and one put on hold by
a judge in Eastern Oregon last week.
Let's bring in Blair best. Blair.
This was back in court again this afternoon,
and it sounds like the judge
is still pressing pause.
David, as of this afternoon,
the permitting requirement.
Under Measure 114 is still on hold.
The judge in Harney County ruled it would
continue to be blocked indefinitely.
As for the ban on high capacity magazines,
the judge just told the court he will
issue his ruling on Friday at noon.
Now. We watched the hearing in
Eastern Oregon play out today on
a web stream from the courtroom.
It started at 9:00 AM and just wrapped up.
Moments ago the courtroom was full
and many more were watching online.
Showing just how heated this
issue has become in court,
attorneys for the state said the gun.
Permitting system required by Measure
114 is still not ready to go.
Harney County Circuit Court Judge Robert
Rocchio ruled the delay will remain in
place until he receives written notice
from the state that they're ready.
He will then hold a hearing
within 10 days of that notice.
Just to note, I'm a single judge over
2 counties, the only one in Oregon,
and so I'm moving mountains to make
sure that you have an opportunity to
be heard because understand this is
very important to the people of Oregon.
All afternoon, the judge heard
arguments about the second
controversial part of Measure 114.
That's the ban on magazines
that hold more than 10 rounds.
Now, one gun shop owner in Burns
testified that if the capacity
limit were to go into effect today,
he wouldn't be able to
sell his stores handguns,
since many once sold could easily be
tampered with to hold more than 10 rounds.
How would that work?
You just drill the rivet out.
It's. Simple. I mean,
you you could do it potentially
even with a pocket knife.
Those rivets are aluminum,
and you can you can just scratch
it out of there with a pocket
knife and with a hand drill.
It takes less than three seconds.
Again, the judge's ruling on
banning more than 10 rounds of
ammunition is expected this Friday.
The next hearing on this measure,
where they'll talk about
background checks at gun shows,
is scheduled for 10:00 AM on December 23rd.
The Court will issue a ruling on that piece.
By 5:00 PM January 3rd, Laurel.