Marion County Judge Sentences Lincoln Smith For Causing Death Of Seven In Interstate 5 Crash -03/04/25

On March 4, 2025, Marion County Circuit Court Judge Daniel J Wren sentenced Lincoln Smith (54) to 579 months (48.25 years) in the Department of Corrections for crimes he committed by crashing into a parked van on May 18,2023. 

 

Judge Wren sentenced Smith to 75 months in the Department of Corrections for each conviction of Manslaughter in the Second degree, and 18 months for each conviction of Assault III with each sentence to be served consecutively without the possibility for a reduction in sentence of any kind.  Smith received a sentence of 364 days for Reckless driving, running concurrently to the other charges.  Before pronouncing sentence, the court heard victim impact statements from 10 individuals describing how the horrific incident impacted their lives.

 

The sentencing came after a jury trial which had been completed on February 5,2025, where the jury found Smith guilty of seven counts of Manslaughter in the Second Degree for recklessly causing the deaths of Juan Carlos Leyva-Carrillo, Gabriel Juarez-Tovilla, Alejandra Espinoza-Carpio, Eduardo Lopez-Lopez, Luis Enrique Gomez-Reyes, Alejandro Jimenez Hernandez, and Josue Garcia-Garcia.  In addition to the Manslaughter counts the jury convicted Smith of three counts of Assault in the Third Degree for recklessly causing serious physical injury to Jose Eduardo Solis-Flores, Maria Flores-Martinez, and Ibis Torres Rangel.  Smith was found not guilty of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants.

 

During the trial, Smith testified he had been up the night before “partying” with some hitchhikers he had picked up during his trip and admitted to using Methamphetamine and Cocaine the night before he was to continue driving on the freeway to complete his deliveries the next day.  Tests of the Smith’s blood after the crash were positive for Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Fentanyl.  Evidence at trial showed that Smith began to feel tired at approximately 12:00 pm (2 hours before he caused the crash), but he did not take necessary steps to stop and rest and instead, fell asleep while driving his semi-truck on Interstate 5.

  

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys David Wilson and Jessica Spooner.

 

The Marion County District Attorney's Office wishes to thank the Oregon State Police for their thorough and professional investigation of this tragedy.  

Judge Sentences OYA Staff Member To Five Years In Prison. -03/03/25

State of Oregon v. Emily Echtenkamp  

                                            Marion County: 23CR58946

 

On March 3, 2025, Marion County Circuit Court Judge Jodie Bureta sentenced Emily Echtenkamp to 60 months in the Oregon Department of Corrections without any early release or alternative programming for having sexual intercourse with an adult in custody at the Oregon Youth Authority.

 

At the time of the incident, Echtenkamp worked as a Qualified Mental Health Professional and Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor at MacLaren, a closed-custody facility operated by the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) in Woodburn, Marion County, Oregon.  For a significant portion of the victim's incarceration at MacLaren, Echtenkamp was directly responsible for his substance abuse and mental health treatment. 

 

At the time, the victim was serving a sentence for crimes he committed when he was under 18 years old.  In this circumstance, Oregon law allows these individuals to be placed in an OYA facility until they are 25 years old.  At the time of these incidents, the victim was 19-20 years old.

 

In her role, Echtenkamp was allowed unsupervised contact with the victim. She met him in locations on campus she knew weren't monitored by security cameras or OYA personnel, or she met him in restrooms.  During these multiple contacts, she performed acts of sexual contact, including sexual intercourse.  Additionally, Echtenkamp provided the victim prohibited video games, cash, and purchased him shoes and clothing for after he was released from custody.

 

Echtenkamp's behavior was eventually discovered when another staff member was unable to locate the victim and contacted OYA officials. Security footage showed the victim and Echtenkamp enter a restroom.

When OYA initially questioned Echtenkamp about the incident, she stated that the victim forced his way into the bathroom and sexually assaulted her.  The full investigation showed that this accusation was not true. Instead, the Oregon State Police corroborated the victim's statements that Echtenkamp consented to sexual contact, including obtaining bank records from Echtenkamp's bank account proving she gave the victim's family cash, just how the victim described.

 

Based on that investigation, a Marion County grand jury returned an indictment charging Echtenkamp with five counts of Custodial Sexual Misconduct in the First Degree, one count of Official Misconduct in the First Degree, and one count of Initiating a False Report. As part of the plea agreement between the State and Defendant, Defendant is pled guilty to three counts of Custodial Sexual Misconduct in the First Degree, one count of Official Misconduct in the First Degree, and one count of Initiating a False Report. The State moved to dismiss the remaining two counts.

 

The state recommended a sentence of 60 months in the Oregon Department of Corrections with no early release. In making that recommendation, the state relied on the fact that Echtenkamp's behavior was especially aggravated, being the victim's mental health counselor, and resulted in harm greater than typical.  Furthermore, the state pointed to Echtenkamp's false accusation of sexual assault as especially callous and concerning. 

The victim spoke at sentencing through his lawyer and expressed the significance of that injury.

 

Judge Bureta sentenced Emily Echtenkamp to sixty months Department of Corrections and 24 months of post-prison. She declined Echtenkamp's request for early release or alternative incarceration programming. Judge Bureta specifically pointed to the victim's release date being delayed due, in part, to the false accusations as an aggravating circumstance.  

 

This case was investigated by the Oregon State Police. Detective Tiffany Lynn was the lead investigator. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Kylie Kuhns and Chief Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy.  Sara Williams and Zachary Causey represented the Defendant.

 

Please contact Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy with additional questions.

(503) 588-5222

Email at bpmurphy@co.marion.or.us.

Salem Police Investigate Officer Involved Use Of Deadly Force Incident Near Kulongoski Army Aviation Training Center In Salem, Oregon (Photo) -02/27/25

DATE:            Thursday, February 27, 2025

 

INVESTIGATORY CONTACT:   Salem Police,   503-588-6050

 

                                               

Salem Police investigate officer involved use of deadly force incident near Kulongoski Army Aviation Training Center

 

Salem, Ore. --The Salem Police Department is conducting an officer use of deadly physical force investigation from an incident that occurred earlier today near the security gate at the Governor Ted Kulongoski Army Aviation Training Center off Turner Road in Salem, Oregon, on February 27, 2025.

 

The incident began when the Oregon State Police responded to an individual who provided a threatening note to the guard stationed outside the airfield.  Specifically, the computer aided dispatch report available to the responding Trooper stated that a "male subject is at the guard shack in the front handed a note to RP [reporting party] saying I will give you 10 minutes to decide, something about laying down arms[.] This is the second time subj [subject] has appeared at the loc [location] in the last 3 days[.]"  The trooper contacted the suspect outside the guard station.  A confrontation ensued and shots were fired.

 

The suspect's open knife was located at the scene. A photograph of the knife is attached to this release. 

 

The suspect has been identified as Matthew Walter Wong, 22, of Salem, Oregon. He was declared deceased at the scene. At the time of his death, Mr. Wong had an active warrant for his arrest in Marion County Circuit Court case 24CR12276 for Unlawful Use of a Weapon.

 

The Marion County District Attorney's Office, in coordination with the Salem Police Department, has contacted next of kin and are providing the decedent's family services through a Marion County District Attorney's Office family support liaison.

 

No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

 

The involved law enforcement officer is Oregon State Police Senior Trooper Justin Oxenrider. He has been a Trooper with the Oregon State Police for 18 years. Senior Trooper Oxenrider is a K9 Trooper and his K9 partner was present and in the Trooper's vehicle during the incident, however his K9 partner detects explosives and is not used for enforcement purposes. 

 

In accordance with Marion County's Law Enforcement Intentional Use of Deadly Physical Force Response Plan ("SB111 plan"), which outlines investigatory standards for deadly force investigations, the Salem Police Department was requested to conduct the use of deadly force investigation because they were not involved in the incident.  Salem Police detectives are working with the Marion County District Attorney's Office to complete the investigation.