July 2, 2020

District Attorney releases Untested Sexual Assault Kit Project Grant Report

Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill is releasing the Untested Sexual Assault Kit Project grant report.

To view a copy of the report, please click here.

District Attorney Underhill said:

Our success of becoming one of the first states to fully eliminate its sexual assault forensic evidence kit backlog and to also implement legislative policies that ensure consistent testing practices in the future is significantly tied to the investment and commitment of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr.

Eliminating Oregon’s backlog of sexual assault forensic evidence kits does more than just pushing a reset button. It recognizes the mistakes of the past and helps to restore confidence in our public safety system. For too long, survivors of sexual assault were left fighting for a voice. Today, through our trauma informed practices, we work with survivors of sexual assault every day to ensure they understand their rights as crime victims. We make sure they are informed of every step of the process. We make sure that their voice is not only heard, but that we listen and that we are responsive.

Locally, we achieved our success quickly because of the shared dedication of local law enforcement including the Oregon State Police Forensic Crime Laboratory. This combined effort highlights the positive outcomes possible in the criminal justice system. I am proud of the current and past members of our Untested Sexual Assault Kit Team. Their passionate commitment to public safety and victims makes our community safer and stronger.

Finally, we honor Melissa Bittler – a 14 year old girl raped and murdered in Portland. The

DNA in her case identified a serial rapist and propelled significant changes with how law enforcement processes DNA evidence. “Melissa’s Law,” which, among other things, requires the timely testing of sexual assault forensic evidence kits passed in 2016, and was named after Melissa. This report is dedicated to and honors her and all other victims of sexual assault.

In 2015, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill, along with the Portland Police Bureau, Gresham Police Department, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory collaboratively initiated a project to process thousands of untested Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kits in Multnomah, Marion and Lane counties.

District Attorney Underhill and others quickly identified funding from the New York County District Attorney’s Office (DANY) and worked collectively with the Portland Police Bureau’s Sex Crimes Unit after the City of Portland received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant Program.

DANY awarded the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office a total of $1,995,453 in September 2015. Using those funds, a coordinated effort involving local law enforcement and the Oregon State Police was launched to send SAFE kits, dated 2014 or older from Multnomah, Lane and Marion counties, to a private lab in Utah for testing.

Under the DANY grant, nearly 3,000 sexual assault kits from around the state were tested.

In 2018, Oregon became one of the first five states in the country to clear its backlog of Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) kits.

In Oregon, Senate Bill 1571, known as "Melissa's Law," was the Oregon Legislature's response to ensuring all sexual assault kits, except for anonymous kits, are sent to the Oregon State Crime Laboratory for timely testing.

The Portland Police Bureau’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Workgroup, which was created in 2015, is comprised of victim-centered and trauma-informed members of the Portland Police Bureau and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.

Results from the kits continue to be investigated and survivors of sexual assaults are being notified. The Portland Police Bureau’s Sex Crimes Unit encourages those who have had a SAFE kit collected prior to 2015 to contact the roseproject@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0125.

Current Multnomah County SAFE kit criminal cases (as of July 2, 2020)

• State of Oregon vs Jose Oscar Rosales - 17CR29317 - Convicted in February 2018
• State of Oregon vs Curtis Clint Williams - 17CR37474 - Convicted in June 2018
• State of Oregon vs Steven Guy Tubbs - 17CR08640 - Convicted in August 2018
• State of Oregon vs Jihad Eldeen Moore - 18CR13996 – Convicted in October 2018
• State of Oregon vs Chanh Van Tran - 18CR25167 - Convicted in November 2018
• State of Oregon vs Jesse Ryan Moser – 19CR53575 – Convicted in February 2020
• State of Oregon vs Ricky Alexander Harrison - 18CR59141 - Pending trial
• State of Oregon vs Richard Timothy Ward – 19CR25495 – Pending trial
• State of Oregon vs Donnie Michael Willis Jr. – 19CR55777 – Convicted in March 2020
• State of Oregon vs Leslie L. Thornton – 11-11-34868 – Pending trial
• State of Oregon vs Timothy Nathaniel Hogue - 11-11-34868 – Pending trial
• State of Oregon vs Frank Domont Hall Jr. – 19CR77675 – Pending trial
• Secret Indictment

COVID-19 Notice

The health and well-being of all employees and community members we serve is a top priority for the Multnomah County District Attorney. Our office is working with the court, defense bar, local law enforcement and other system partners to carefully balance the needs of public health and public safety.

For information about the operational changes implemented by the District Attorney’s Office in response to the novel coronavirus, please click here.

#MCDA#

Contact: Brent Weisberg, Communications Director | Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office

Phone: 503.988.6567 | Email: Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us