PORTLAND AREA MAN CONVICTED IN THE MURDER OF A 17 YEAR OLD IN 2021 - 06/09/26

Case: 21CR52757                                                                             June 9, 2026

Portland, OR- Isaac Cortez Bynum Jr, currently 30-years-old,  was convicted today by a Multnomah County jury of Murder in the Second Degree with a Firearm and Unlawful Use of a Weapon for the murder of victim Seneca Alexander on August 24, 2021. Separately, the jury convicted Mr. Bynum of Unlawful Use of a Weapon for a shooting that occurred in Portland on August 11, 2021. Further, a judge convicted Mr. Bynum of two counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm for both incidents. 

Additionally, Bynum Jr. was convicted in a separate shooting from August 11, 2021.

He was convicted in that case of Unlawful Use of a Firearm and Felon in Possession of a Firearm with a Firearm.

Eric Palmer prosecuted the case for the state.

After the conviction he said “Seneca Alexander and his friends were on their way to the movies when Seneca encountered the defendant who gunned him down when Seneca least expected it. Seneca should have made it to the movies. He should have graduated high school. He should be with us today.”

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank the Major Crimes Team and Detective Isaac Hibbs for their outstanding work on this difficult case.

We would also like to highlight the work of MCDA Victim Advocate Rebecca Leediker for the care and comfort they provided the victims in this case.

THE FACTS:

On August 24, 2021 Seneca Alexander, who was 17 years old, and two of Seneca’s friends met with the defendant south of Gresham High School. The defendant got into Alexander’s car and asked for a ride to a nearby store. Surveillance footage showed the defendant wearing a covid mask for the entire encounter. Seneca’s friends did not know the defendant and were later unable to identify him. At the store, the defendant made a purchase and received cash back. He returned to the car and they drove back to the original meet up location. After a few moments the defendant got out of the vehicle and walked around to the open window of the driver’s side and began firing a gun. He fired 13 shots into the car. The sound was captured by nearby cameras which also captured footage of the defendant running away. Sentencing is set for July 24, 2026 at 1:30 PM.  

                           ###MCDA###