Oregon

Kidnapper leaves bloody trail in Oregon, hides under house

Published

2 years ago

February 2, 2023

Kidnapper leaves bloody trail in Oregon, hides under house

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Police converged in drive on the tiny, unincorporated group of Wolf Creek in southwest Oregon the night time of Jan. 26 as they hunted for a suspect who was wished for kidnapping and torturing a lady practically to dying — and who had beforehand been convicted of an analogous crime in Nevada.

5 days later, Benjamin Obadiah Foster was useless, lastly positioned by police hiding within the crawlspace underneath a home in close by Grants Cross, the identical dwelling the place his sufferer had been discovered unconscious and sure per week earlier. Within the interim, Foster entered one other dwelling and killed two strangers, leaving a ugly scene as he evaded one of many largest manhunts within the state in latest reminiscence, police stated Wednesday.

In 2019, Foster held his then-girlfriend captive for 2 weeks in her Las Vegas condo whereas torturing her. Police stated he broke seven of her ribs, blackened each her eyes, choked her to the purpose of unconsciousness and compelled her to eat lye earlier than she managed to flee. Foster already had a suspended jail sentence on a hid weapons cost and was awaiting trial in one other home violence case.

Two months after he lower a cope with prosecutors and was sentenced to at least one to 2 1/2 years, he was let loose on Oct. 21, 2021, the identical day he was transferred to a Nevada state jail. A Nevada corrections official stated Foster was launched as a result of the decide credited him with 729 days of pre-sentencing jail time.

Fifteen months later Foster, a 36-year-old bartender, was in a relationship with a lady in Grants Cross. On Jan. 24 her pal grew involved as a result of she hadn’t been seen for a number of days. The pal went to the girl’s home, the place she was discovered crushed to unconsciousness, sure and close to dying. The sufferer remained hospitalized in essential situation Wednesday.

The case rattled Grants Cross, a city of 40,000 that has seen excessive unemployment and poverty charges and public security layoffs with the decline of the timber trade. Police stated they have been bringing all their sources to bear to search out Foster.

“We’re laser-focused on capturing this man and bringing him to justice,” Police Chief Warren Hensman instructed a information convention Jan. 26. “That is an all-hands-on-deck operation.”

That very same night time, Grants Cross police, sheriff’s deputies, an Oregon State Police SWAT workforce and federal brokers carried out the raid in Wolf Creek, set amid forested mountains with site visitors on Interstate 5 zooming previous close by. Brokers seized Foster’s automobile, which he had pushed over an embankment in an obvious effort to cover it, and arrested a 68-year-old girl for hindering prosecution. However Foster had vanished.

Investigators believed he had assist fleeing the world. The following day, police introduced that he was utilizing relationship apps to search out individuals who might assist him keep away from the police or to search out new victims. Authorities supplied a $2,500 reward for Foster and arrange a tip line.

One name got here from a cab firm saying a person had requested a taxi from Sunny Valley, simply south of Wolf Creek, Hensman stated Wednesday. Police went round checking space properties to make sure residents have been all proper.

However via the window of 1 home, they noticed what seemed to be a criminal offense scene. They entered and located the our bodies of Richard Lee Barron Jr. and Donald Owen Griffith, who have been killed someday between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning and died of blunt drive trauma, in response to Oregon State Police Capt. Kyle Kennedy.

“It’s a brutal scene, sadly, that we’re processing,” Kennedy stated. There’s no indication that Foster knew Barron or Griffith, who lived collectively, earlier than the killings.

A number of gadgets have been taken, in addition to the lads’s canine. On Tuesday, Foster was noticed 20 miles (30 kilometers) to the south in Grants Cross — with the canine.

Regulation enforcement officers sporting helmets and bulletproof vests rushed to the neighborhood with rifles and at the least one armored automobile. They searched the close by home the place that they had discovered the girl the earlier week. It was a nerve-wracking state of affairs, in response to the police chief.

“Whereas we’re deploying groups to safe the residence, we additionally should take into consideration what this man simply did — he brutally murdered two innocents in Sunny Valley, and we didn’t know when he was going to cease,” Hensman stated. Space residents have been instructed to shelter in place.

Officers searched the home and didn’t initially discover anybody, however then they despatched a sheriff’s division robotic to the crawlspace and located indicators Foster was burrowed deep beneath the house. His presence was confirmed by a digicam. The fugitive had water and different provides stashed there, apparently in hopes he might wait out the police presence undetected.

The officers anticipated a gunfight, however as a substitute Foster shot himself within the head, in response to Hensman. Police moved in and located Foster unconscious, wedged underneath the home and holding a .45-caliber pistol. Officers needed to lower into the floorboards to extract him.

Foster was taken to a hospital, the place he died Tuesday night time.

“This was a protracted and arduous job,” Hensman stated. “It ended with Benjamin Foster taking his personal life.”

___

Related Press author Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

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Oregon

REAL ID deadline is coming. How to get one in Oregon and why you shouldn’t delay

Published

31 mins ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

REAL ID deadline is coming. How to get one in Oregon and why you shouldn’t delay

Oregonians will soon need to meet federal security standards and get a REAL ID by May 7, 2025 if they want to fly domestically.

Here’s how to get a REAL ID, why they are required and why you should make plans to get one soon.

What is a REAL ID?

A REAL ID is a state-issued driver’s license, permit or ID card that meets federal security standards, according to a press release from the Oregon Department of Transportation.

An Oregon REAL ID has a star inside a black circle on the upper right corner of the card. Renewing identification without opting for a REAL ID will show “Not for REAL ID Act” in the upper right corner.

Why will REAL IDs be required?

In 2005, Congress passed the REAL ID Act in response to the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation to improve protection and “establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards,” according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Can I still fly after May 7, 2025 if I don’t get a REAL ID?

No. Past the May deadline, any person 18 years or older without a REAL ID, passport, passport card or military ID won’t be able to board domestic flights.

Chris Crabb, public information officer for the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles, said 51% of Oregonians have their passport.

REAL IDs cannot be used as a passport alternative to board foreign flights, and Oregonians will still be able to legally drive, vote or prove their identity without a REAL ID.

How to get a REAL ID in Oregon?

Oregonians can get a REAL ID at any DMV office by walk-in or appointment. Applicants must bring documents that prove their identity, date of birth, social security number, two different proofs of address and lawful status in the United States.

There will be an up to 20-day wait period before the REAL ID arrives in the mail after completing the application.

How much does a REAL ID cost in Oregon?

REAL IDs cost $30 each time you apply, and that fee comes in addition to the regular costs for an original, renewal or replacement of a standard Oregon driver’s license, permit or ID card. Getting a REAL ID does not change the expiration date on your card.

An original standard driver’s license costs $64, an ID card costs $47 and a permit is $30.

Renewal of a standard driver’s license costs $54, an ID card costs $43 and a permit is $26.

Replacement of a standard driver’s license costs $30, an ID card costs $40 and a permit is $30.

Why should I make plans to get a REAL ID in Oregon ASAP?

Crabb said the DMV is expecting an influx of REAL ID seekers toward the deadline, so they’re hoping people can make the switch as soon as possible.

Since the option became available in 2020, one-third of the state’s license, instruction permit or identification card holders have opted to switch to a REAL ID — a little over a million people, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Applicants who show up two weeks before the deadline might not receive the REAL ID in time if they are traveling close to the deadline, she said. Temporary paper cards will not be accepted.

“The sooner you get it, the less you’ll probably have to wait,” Crabb said.

Alexander Banks is an AAJA-SPJ reporting intern at the Statesman Journal. Reach him at abanks@statesmanjournal.com

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Oregon

WATCH: Trent Bray Talks Exciting Oregon State Win Over Washington State

Published

9 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

WATCH: Trent Bray Talks Exciting Oregon State Win Over Washington State

Trent Bray’s Oregon State Beavers picked up a huge win in Week 13, narrowly beating out Pac-12 rivals Washington State 41-38. Spirits were exceptionally high for the Beavers postgame as they snapped a five-game losing streak and stayed alive in the hunt for a postseason game.

Bray met with local media postgame to share his excitement for the result and where the Beavers found success in the victory. The full presser video is linked below. Bray speaks for the first eight minutes.

NOTES

– “I think tonight was just what I’ve seen from these guys all season long. Ups and downs but they just keep going back to work. They they believe in each other. It was just a great team win.”

-On finding success in simplifying the offense: “I think Gunderson and the staff did a great job of narrowing things down. What do we do well, how can we use guys…What we did with Jabari and how we used his legs helped us move the ball. So I think they just did a good job of narrowing it down and and, you know, less is more and I think that’s what we found tonight.”

-On still having a chance to make a bowl game: “I think it’s it’s it’s big. We give ourselves an opportunity with the last game to go to the postseason, which is where everyone wants to be, and we got another great team we got to face but I think it’s a definitely a a good thing and a motivating thing.”

Oregon

Boise State, rejuvenated Oregon State set to battle on the Blue

Published

16 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Boise State, rejuvenated Oregon State set to battle on the Blue

Minutes after No. 12 Boise State knocked off Wyoming Saturday night, the Broncos’ next opponent — Oregon State — secured its biggest victory of the season.

A 55-yard Everett Hayes field goal with 20 seconds remaining lifted the Beavers to a 41-38 victory over Washington State in the unofficial Pac-12 championship game.

Oregon State (5-6), which had dropped five straight games following a 4-1 start, and Washington State (8-3) are competing as independents the next two years before Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State join the Pac-12 for the 2026 football season.

“Tonight was just what I’ve seen from these guys all season long: ups and downs, but they just keep going back to work,” first-year Beavers head coach Trent Bray said. “They believe in each other, and it was just a great team win. … We’ve been so close in so many games this last month or two. For them to be in that and pull it out and do it is huge.”

The Broncos (10-1, 7-0 Mountain West) and Beavers will face off at 10 a.m. Mountain time on Black Friday at Albertsons Stadium.

Oregon State won four of its first five games, but lost starting running back Jam Griffin and others along the way. A 42-37 defeat at Nevada began a streak of five consecutive losses that culminated in an embarrassing 28-0 shutout at Air Force last week.

The Beavers were out-gained 410-175 in Colorado Springs. One week later, Oregon State out-gained the high-flying Cougars 484-385.

“I think (offensive coordinator Ryan) Gunderson and the staff did a great job of narrowing things down,” Bray said. “What do we do well? How can we use guys? … Less is more, and I think that’s what we found out tonight.”

Idaho transfer Gevani McCoy started the first eight games at quarterback but was benched during a 44-7 loss at California. Ben Gulbranson, who went 7-1 as a starter during the Beavers’ 10-win 2022 season, started the San Jose State game but was unavailable against Air Force due to injury.

Gulbranson returned to the lineup Saturday and completed 22 for 34 passes for 294 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, including a pick-six that put Washington State up 38-31 in the fourth quarter. The junior bounced right back to lead a game-tying touchdown dive.

“I’m happy for Ben because he’s put in a lot of work and been through a lot his whole career,” Bray said of Gulbranson, who lost his starting job to transfer DJ Uiagalelei last year. “When it went bad, he didn’t hang his head, didn’t give up. He went right back and led the team down to score.”

The Beavers also used freshman quarterback Gabarri Johnson as a runner against Washington State. Johnson finished with six carries for 47 yards and a touchdown.

“I thought what we did with Gabarri and how we used his legs helped us move the ball,” Bray said.

Oregon State had scored just 20 combined points over its last three games before exploding for 41 Saturday night. Needing a victory for bowl eligibility, the Beavers would love to contain Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty and spoil Boise State’s College Football Playoff bye aspirations.

“We know we’ve got a big-time opponent coming to the Blue this Friday, and we’ve got to be ready,” Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson said. “We know we’re going to get everybody’s best. We got Wyoming’s best tonight, and I promise you we are going to get Oregon State’s best.”