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community Rebuilding a Life says Scott. “The day he was sentenced my oldest daughter Alexis said, ‘I’m go- ing to be 19 when he gets out. We’re going to miss him and he’s going to miss my whole time growing up and going to high school. He’s not going to be there for me.’ It was really detrimental to all the kids when he went away. We all love him and he’s family to us.” *** Hines was working at Fine Line Pacific, a marble and granite installation company in Lake Oswego, and living in Forest Grove, when his father Dennis became too sick to work and take care of himself at the family home in Birken- feld. Dennis was drinking himself to death and suffering from Hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver. Hines left his job at Fine Line to take care of his father. “He told me, ‘Desmond, I did all this for you, this is all going to be yours; you’re my only good son,’” says Hines about his father’s promise to leave him the property. “He’d had a falling out with both my brother and my sister be- cause dad just wasn’t a very nice person. After years and years of thinking about it I decided that I needed to put all those negative feelings aside and go have a relationship with my father before he passed away. So I did. I went out there and did whatever he needed done around the place. I took him up to the VA Hos- pital when he needed to go. I’d bring him a bottle of booze so he could sit and look out the window and drink and tell me how I was doing everything wrong.” Hines says he heard whisperings around the community that his father was going to “stab him in the back” and give the property to his friend, co-worker, and drinking buddy, Keith Borders. “I said, ‘No, my dad has told me a hundred times to my face that we were good and he was leaving it to me.’” Dennis Hines died on March 13, the day before Desmond’s 31 st birth- day. “I got into the gun safe and found the will and it clearly said, ‘I do NOT want my children to inherit any of my estate,’ and it named each of us kids and gave our social security numbers,” says Hines. “It named his neighbor as the ex- ecutor of the estate, and then gave all his belongings - the houses on the property, the guns, the cars, everything - to Keith Borders.” *** When he learned he had been cut out of his father’s will, Hines says he flew into a rage. He felt like what he had been working so hard for, and been promised, was being taken away from him. “I dove pretty deep into the booze and I was mad.” 2016 5 continued from page 3 Hines is reflective when talking until they told him they were arresting about why he was so angry and disap- him for murder that the magnitude of pointed with his father’s decision. “My what he had done actually sunk in. sister had a couple kids and I thought she *** should get some of the property because Instead of going to trial, Hines that’s what parents are supposed to do – took a deal and pled guilty to Man- take care of the generation behind them slaughter II and received a sentence of and leave things better than you found 75 months. “I took responsibility for it it.” and I continue to take responsibility ev- Hines says he spent several days ery day when I wake up,” says Hines. this way, drunk, angry and irrational, Schoonover’s father spoke on Hines’s driving around with a pistol in his truck. behalf at his sentencing. “He said, ‘You His friends thought took my son from he might be suicidal, me and that is some- so they sent his friend thing you can never Darrell Schoonover to replace,’” says Hines. “After years and years spend the day with him “He said, ‘I forgive of thinking about it I while he took care of you because I have to, decided that I needed some of the details of because of my faith, to put all those negative his father’s death, like but you don’t get to feelings aside and go the crematorium bill. live just for yourself have a relationship with Then they went back to anymore, you have to my father before he his dad’s house. Hines live for my son too.’” passed away. So I did. says Schoonover’s “I figure Dar- I’d bring him a bottle step-mother had given rell gave his life, so of booze so he could them a half gallon of that I could get my sit and look out the cheap rum. “My first life back,” says Hines. window and drink and thought was, ‘I’m “I’m not ever going to not very good on that take it for granted that tell me how I was doing stuff,’” says Hines. I’m getting a second everything wrong.” “My second thought chance. I’m going to was, ‘I’m broke and I make my way through only have a six-pack the rest of my life the of beer, so I’m going best I can.” to have to take that rum.’” *** Hines said he and Schoonover Hines ended up serving 84 started drinking hard. “We were just months in prison. His first year he ended goofing around, wrestling and being up in some trouble. At 150 pounds he drunk, having fun,” says Hines. A friend was a target and had to establish him- of his father’s stopped by and later told self in the prison population hierarchy. the Grand Jury that they looked like a He ended up in several fights and had couple of unsupervised kids having fun - a couple disciplinary issues. After that not angry, not fighting. first year things settled down. He was a hard worker and the guards knew they *** “I don’t really remember what could give him extra work assignments. happened that night.” says Hines. “I He was able to stay busy and stay out of know when we got home I had reloaded trouble. He served his time in the Oregon the pistol. I know I was in a really angry prison system, doing time at the Coffee place and I didn’t care about people’s Creek Correctional Facility, the Snake lives at that point. I was just in a really, River Correctional Institution, and the really dark place in my mind.” Warner Creek Correctional Facility. Hines says he and Schoonover At Snake River he worked on several drank almost the entire half gallon of wildland fire crews and helped fight the rum between 8:00 pm and 1:00 am. “We massive Cornet/Windy Ridge Fire in were drunk and I had the gun pointed 2015, where his experience working in at my head, at his head, and back at my the woods as a logger came in handy. head,” says Hines. “I don’t really know When he left the prison system he was how it happened, but I know I shot and commended for his lengthy 13 page killed him.” work history. *** *** Hines says he went and got a bi- When Hines was released from ble and read Psalms 23 over Schoonover. prison Scott offered him a place to live Then he held Schoonover’s body in his and a chance to come home to Verno- arms before calling 9-1-1. When police arrived he told them he had shot and Vernonia City Council killed his friend. Hines says it wasn’t Meetings and Closures Vernonia Police Blotter • October 17-31, 2016 Reports/Arrests • October 18, 2016 Report of a stolen vehicle near Airport Way • October 21, 2016 Report of Unlawful Entry and Criminal Mischief near Lakeview Dr. • October 27, 2016 Report of Theft II near North St. • October 28, 2016 Arrest on a Felony Warrant near Spencer Ave. and Bridge St. november3 • October 29, 2016 Report of Criminal Trespass near Sheely Creek Rd. Citations/Other • October 17, 2016 Cited for Restricted Parking of an RV on a Public Street near Maple St. and Weed St. • October 18, 2016 Cited for Driving While Suspended near Bridge St. • October 19, 2016 Cited for Driving While Suspended near Bridge St. and Madison Ave. • October 28, 2016 Cited for Driving While Suspended near Bridge St. Vernonia Police Department responds to calls that do not always end in Arrest, Report, or Citation. 10/17/2016 through 10/31/2016 VPD had 216 calls for service. City Council Meetings are scheduled for 7:00 pm: Monday, November 7, 2016 Monday, November 21, 2016 City Closures are scheduled for: Friday, November 11, 2016 Veteran’s Day Thursday, November 24, 2016 Friday, November 25, 2016 Thanksgiving Holiday Dates and times subject to change due to conflicts of schedules nia. “What happened really divided our group of friends,” says Scott about Schoonover’s death. “Desmond and Darrell were good friends - like broth- ers. We were all like family and it was really painful to lose both of them. Dar- rell saved Desmond’s life one time when he tried to commit suicide. Some of us truly believe it was an accident when Desmond killed Darrell, because Des- mond would never do that – would never kill his best friend. Others are still really pissed that it happened and haven’t been able to accept him being back.” Scott says Hines has definitely taken responsibility for what happened that night. “He never says it was an acci- dent. He says he killed his friend. He’s already put himself through a lot. None of us can make him feel any worse about what happened.” Scott says Schoonover’s father had wanted to see Hines when he was released from prison but he passed away just weeks after Hines’s release and the two never had a chance to speak. “I feel like if the family can forgive you, that’s what is really important,” says Scott. Hines says that early in his life he lost touch with his older brother, who now lives in Klamath Falls. “We didn’t talk to each other for about twenty years,” explains Hines. “He found me when I was in prison and we wrote back and forth a time or two. I found out he’s still deep in his own alcoholism so I told him I couldn’t come see him until he de- cides to put the booze down for at least a weekend. Where I’m at with my life right now I just can’t be around it.” Scott says Hines worries about what people think about him here in town. “But there are people who are willing to give him a chance, and that’s important. We’re helping him get back continued on page 12 291 A Street call Kim Lovable service at a reasonable price • Bathing • Haircuts • Nail Clipping • Nail Polishing • Specialty Shampoos The Vernonia Transfer Station is open on the 2nd and 4th Saturday November 12 December 10 Dates are subject to change due to weather
