FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 9, 2018
Paris McConville receives 18 year prison sentence for killing Ryan Thompson
Late today, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced 35-year-old Paris McConville pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter in the first degree and one count of assault in the second degree and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Ryan Thompson’s family remembered him as a kind person who had an enormous interest in jewelry, old cars and classic films.
"Ryan was a kind, sensitive, and exceedingly intelligent, private person with a huge and caring heart,” Mr. Thompson’s sister, Cecily Thompson-Thiel said in court. “He was a good big brother. He and I will never have the chance to grow old together. I will never get to meet the man he would have become. … In the end, he lost his life because he trusted the wrong person.”
Mr. Thompson’s father provided the Court with art and writing samples that Thompson had previously created.
Sarah Tinch, Mr. Thompson’s cousin, remembered him for his humor and ability to make others laugh.
“Laughing with Ryan always brought me back to the best places of my childhood,” Tinch said at sentencing.
This investigation began on August 22, 2017 when McConville entered the lobby of the Portland Police Bureau’s Central Precinct, located at 1111 Southwest 2nd Avenue, to report she had killed someone. Central Precinct patrol officers and detectives assigned to the Portland Police Bureau’s Homicide Detail responded to Mr. Thompson’s apartment complex in the 700 block of Southwest St. Claire Avenue to conduct a welfare check. Upon entering the apartment, the body of Mr. Thompson was found.
Detectives have since learned that on August 21, 2017, McConville and Mr. Thompson got into an argument, which turned physical. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the cause of death to be strangulation and the manner of death homicide. Thompson, as noted in the autopsy report, had a blunt force injury to the back of his head and a stab wound on his arm.
During this investigation, detectives learned McConville and Mr. Thompson had known each other for approximately 10 years.
At no point during the investigation was a clear motive for the killing developed. However, there is evidence to suggest McConville suffers from mental health illness.
At the time of sentencing, McConville address the court and briefly apologized.
Judge Gregory Silver, upon sentencing McConville said, “No words can explain what happened. The depth of this tragedy and the effect that it has left on the people behind cannot be overstated.”
Domestic violence can include physical violence, verbal attacks, psychological manipulation, sexual abuse, financial abuse, or other forms of control by a partner or family member. If you need assistance, contact “Call to Safety” at 503-235-5333 or toll-free at 1-888-235-5333 if you are not experiencing an emergency, but need to talk to someone immediately.
Domestic and sexual violence can take many forms and affect all kinds of people. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office wants you to know that you are not at fault for any of the abuse you may have experienced, and that there are people who can help.
The Gateway Center is an in person resource location that operates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. No appointments are necessary. At the Gateway Center, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office is located on-site to provide consultation and help so that participants understand the court processes. They also help provide options if a participant chooses to prosecute their abuser.
The Victims' Assistance Program for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office provides support during the reporting of sexual assaults, domestic violence and other crimes and referrals to victim services and resources: 503-988-3222.
For emergency response, contact 9-1-1.
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Contact: Brent Weisberg, Communications Director
Phone: 503.988.6567
Email: Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us