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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2020)
A2 • Friday, November 13, 2020 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com Roden gets new sentence in child’s death BUSINESS By NICOLE BALES The Astorian A Seaside man who was found guilty of killing his girl- friend’s 2-year-old daughter received a new sentence last Friday after his murder con- victions were overturned by the Oregon Court of Appeals last year. To avoid a retrial, Randy Roden’s counsel and prose- cutors settled on a guilty plea to manslaughter in the fi rst degree. Roden, 32, was sen- tenced to 20 years in prison from when he was arrested in December 2014. The murder charges he was convicted of in 2016 were dismissed. Roden was sentenced to nearly 40 years in prison in 2016 after a jury found him guilty of murder by abuse, felony murder, manslaughter, assault and criminal mistreat- ment in the death of Evange- lina Wing and the abuse of her two brothers. The Court of Appeals, however, ruled that during the trial the prosecution failed to present an adequate scientifi c foundation for expert testi- mony on bite marks found on the children. District Attorney Ron Brown, who prosecuted the case, said the state agreed to make the deal based on many different factors, including a lapse in time since the crime, holes in the investigation — particularly with the autopsy of Wing — and the uncer- tainty of another trial. Brown said he also did not want to further traumatize the Directory ELECTRICAL • New Construction • Remodels • Panel Changes & Upgrades CALL US for your next electrical project! Danny Miller/The Astorian Randy Roden reacts as his verdict is read in 2016 at Clatsop County Circuit Court in Astoria. children and other witnesses with another trial. Another reason, he said, is no one could duplicate the work of the lead detective on the case, Seaside Sgt. Jason Goodding, who was killed on duty in 2015. “There’s really no amount of time or money or anything else that can ever give back the innocence of a child’s life or a victim of sexual abuse,” Brown said. “And it’s frus- trating that the best we can do is just put somebody in prison, but at least he won’t be hurting anybody for the better part of the next 20 years. “He’s a total bully, and he picks on women and children. That’s his track record.” Prosecutors and law enforcement have described the death of Wing and the abuse of her brothers as one of the worst child abuse cases in the county’s history. Prosecutors alleged the children were tortured, sex- ually abused, burned, bit- ten and caged in the Seaside apartment their mother, Doro- thy Wing, shared with Roden. Dorothy Wing pleaded guilty to manslaughter and criminal mistreatment and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, a reduced sentence agreed upon in return for her testimony against Roden. During Roden’s sen- tencing on Friday, the fam- ily of the children struggled to come to terms with a new sentence they view as unjust. Melissa Smith, the chil- dren’s aunt and adoptive par- ent of the two boys, said her family is offended by how the matters have been handled. “It sends a message to the community in which this child died that her life does not matter,” Smith said. “The effects of this crime, and his actions on every member of my family is a life sentence of dealing with profound trauma and grief and loss. “When I think of every- thing my nieces and neph- ews have gone through, I become sick to my stom- ach that someone could hurt children in this way or that a mother could look the other way shocks me to my core. No one will ever know the extent of their torture, sex- ual abuse, mental and emo- tional abuse that they suf- fered at this man’s hand. Man is too kind of a word, he is a monster. “I’m still learning new things that were done to my boys and their sister every day and it takes a part of my heart. There’s a raw and empty space in all of this now that will never be healed because of this horrible man.” Judge Henry Kantor, who presided over the sentenc- ing, said the new sentence may not satisfy anyone, “but it is what the community can produce in light of all of the circumstances.” Burglary mars Veterans Day By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal Seaside Elks Lodge #1748 joined 1,800 Elks chapters nationwide hon- ored the nation’s veterans on Veterans Day. The week was marred as the lodge was burglarized overnight between Monday and Tuesday. Cash was being raised to help provide food baskets for the holidays. Baskets are given to families in need. • Add Circuits or Lighting CCB #198257 “We are frustrated to announce that our lodge was the victim of bur- glary,” treasurer Jan Jack- son reported Wednesday. Offi cers worked through- out the day to repair dam- age and get the lodge up and running for chili din- ner and a shortened pro- gram, without the usual decorations and photos in place. Anyone with informa- tion is asked to contact the Seaside Police Department at 503-738-6311. City proclamation Seaside City Council offered a proclamation pay- ing tribute to veterans and their families. At the Oct. 26 meeting, Councilor Steve Wright read the Proclamation for Veter- ans Day, paying tribute “to the men and women who have risked their lives to preserve the liberty of our nation, the families who support them, and the heroes no longer with us.” The proclamation recalls previous generations of Amer- icans have “charged into harm’s way, sometimes mak- ing the ultimate sacrifi ce, to protect the freedoms that have blessed American.” The council unanimously supported the proclamation. MEMORIAL Leif E. DeWinter • Generators • Repairs 503-739-7145 712 S. Holladay Dr. • Seaside, OR Monday-Friday 8 am -5 pm www.jjelectricservice.com FLOORING CCB# 205283 Luxury vinyl planks and tile. you walk on our reputation Flooring Installation 3470 Hwy 101 Suite 102 • Gearhart, Oregon 503.739.7577 • carpetcornergearhart.com LANDSCAPING YARD DEBRIS DROP-OFF (no scotch broom) • La urelwood Compos t • Soil A mend ments • Pla nting Ma cMix • Mulch 503-717-1454 3 4 1 5 4 HIGHW AY 2 6 SE ASIDE , O R Laurelwood Farm ELECTRICAL • Repairs • Generator installation & servicing • New construction • Remodels Serving the North Oregon Coast since 1950! Serving Clatsop & Tillamook Counties 503.738.8391 CCB#3226 Saturday, Nov. 14 FLOORING Memorial at 1 p.m., North Coast Family Fel- lowship, 2245 N. Wah- anna Road in Seaside. Randall Lee’s 0% FINANCING AVAILABLE PUBLIC SAFETY LOG SEASIDE POLICE DEPT. PUBLIC SAFETY LOG Oct. 30 7:45 a.m., Turnaround: Police contact a subject reported causing a disturbance. 8:24 a.m., 500 block S. Roo- sevelt: A person sleeping on private property is advised to move along. 3:55 p.m., 2100 block S. Frank- lin: Domestic disturbance. Nov. 2 7:12 a.m., Avenue A: Caller re- ports a man removing paintings from a closed construction site; police contact the property owner who says the paintings are free. The area is now closed to the public. 10:48 a.m., Beach swings: A mobile phone found is turned in to police for safekeeping. 12:40 p.m., 11th and Roosevelt: A found wallet is turned in for safekeeping. Oct. 31 6:51 p.m., 4200 block U.S. High- way 101: Police assist Gearhart police on an arrest warrant. 3:32 p.m., First and Columbia: A person is arrested on a warrant. 7:27 p.m., 800 block S. Colum- bia: Sex off ender registration. 8:31 p.m., 200 block Broadway: An argument between patrons at a restaurant is determined to be verbal only. 10:31 p.m., 300 block S. Colum- bia: A man making a lot of noise is advised to keep it down. 8:57 p.m., 2400 block U.S. High- way 101: A caller who reported his foot injured later declined medical attention. After saying he would “just die,” he later said he had no self-harming intentions. 6:39 a.m., Broadway: Police respond to a report of a man acting in a hysterical manner. The subject was located and warned of disorderly conduct and advised to modify his behavior. Nov. 1 10:09 a.m., 800 block Avenue G: A person is arrested for disorder- ly conduct. 12:34 a.m. 700 block First Ave- nue: Subjects reported fi ghting agree to keep the peace. 9:53 a.m., 700 block S. Edge- wood: A person is arrested for driving while under the infl u- ence of intoxicants. Nov. 3 8:01 p.m., Library: A transient sleeping on the property is warned of ordinances and ad- vised they will be trespassed. Nov. 4 3:01 p.m., 800 block S. Roos- evelt: A person is arrested on a warrant. 9:00 a.m., 1100 block N. Roos- evelt: A person is arrested on a warrant. 7:24 p.m., 2300 block S. Roo- sevelt: A person is arrested for being in violation of a restrain- ing order. 9:12 p.m., Thompson Falls Drive and Lewis and Clark Road: Caller reports someone following them; police contact the suspicious person who is not suspicious and is just traveling in the same direction. 10:03 p.m., N. Downing: Police responded to a report of a fi ght at a local business. The subject left the area prior to police arrival and their presence was no longer needed. 10:44 p.m., 900 block Third Avenue: Police responding to a disturbance are told it was all a misunderstanding. Nov. 5 4:33 a.m., 400 block S. Holladay: While investigating an alarm sounding, police determine the alarm is from smoke alarms discarded in a bin. No hazards were located. 2:39 p.m., S. Downing and Ave- nue K: A hit-and-run is reported. 3:11 p.m., Wahanna near the hospital: A person is arrested on a warrant. 10:15 p.m., 800 block S. Roosevelt: A caller reports an in- toxicated man who won’t leave. The subject got in a taxi and left prior to police arrival. SEASIDE FIRE & RESCUE PUBLIC SAFETY LOG Oct. 30 12:38 p.m., 400 block S. Holla- day: Structure fi re. Oct. 31 1:22 p.m., 1200 block Beach Drive: Structure fi re. Nov. 2 1:13 p.m., 500 block Hillside Loop: Emergency medical response. 1:52 p.m. 2200 block N. Wahan- na: Fire investigation. 5:58 p.m., 2400 block N. Roosevelt: Emergency medical response following motor vehi- cle accident. State police responded to the site of a three-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 101 and Pioneer Farm Road, milepost 9 Nov. 4 at 10:10 a.m. Two people, a 63-year-old man and a 71-year- old woman, both from Ilwaco, Washington, died on scene. According to the preliminary in- vestigation, a 2000 Lincoln Navi- gator was traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 101 when it crossed the center line and side- swiped a 2012 Toyota RAV4 trav- eling southbound. The impact caused the RAV4 to spin into the northbound lane at which time it was struck by a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck traveling in the northbound lane. The driver and passenger of the RAV4 were pronounced deceased at the scene, along with their dog who was in the car with them. The driver and passenger of the Colorado truck were transported via ambulance for non-life threatening injuries. The driver and sole occupant of the Navigator was uninjured. The investigation is ongoing. FIRE LOG 12:33 p.m., End of Avenue D, Under Tree: A man who started a bonfi re on city property is told to clean up and clear out. Oct. 17 OREGON STATE POLICE PUBLIC SAFETY LOG 5 p.m., good intent call, Pacifi c Way, Gearhart. 8:21 a.m., motor vehicle acci- dent with injuries, U.S. High- way 101 and Gronmark Lane, Gearhart 2:28 p.m., medical service, U.S. Highway 101 and Shamrock Road, Warrenton. 10:09 p.m., emergency medical service, Wahanna, Seaside. Oct. 18 11:07 a.m., emergency medical service, Seabreeze, Surf Pines. Oct. 20 Fatal crash on U.S. Highway 101 rlflooring@yahoo.com • www.RandallLeesFlooring.com Randall Lee’s Flooring Outlet • 3579 Hwy 101 Gearhart • 503-738-6756 Warehouse pricing • Open to the Public • Hundreds of instock rolls & remnants • In House Binding CONSTRUCTION B oB M c E wan c onstruction , inc . E xcavation • u ndErground u tiitiEs r oad w ork • F ill M atErial s itE P rEParation • r ock owned and operated by M ike and C eline M C e wan 503-738-3569 34154 Hwy 26, Seaside, OR P.O. Box 2845, Gearhart, OR S erving the p aCifiC n orthweSt S inCe 1956 • CC48302 CREMATION Ocean View Funeral & Cremation Services www.OceanViewAstoria.com On The Northern Oregon Coast Oct. 16 2:27 p.m., 1100 block Broad- way: Fire alarm. Randall Lee’s Seaside • 2311 N. Roosevelt Dr. • 503-738-5729 Lowest Cost Cremation 7:27 a.m., 200 block First Ave- nue: Fire alarm. 7:33 a.m., U.S. Highway 101, Seaside: Emergency medical response. 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