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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2019)
SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 40, NO. 48 SECTION A SEPTEMBER 6, 2019 $1.00 Former councilor will try to unseat Schrader HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW Amy Ryan Courser tosses hat into Congressional ring Amy Ryan Courser By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes Keizer residents might notice a familiar name on their Republican primary ballots in 2020. Amy Ryan Courser, a former Keizer city councilor, announced this week she intends to challenge Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Canby) for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Courser, who went by Amy Ryan when she was on the city council, said she’s contemplated a run for Congress throughout the past two years, but it’s the right time now. “With my time on the city council, I had the opportunity to be at the larger table and work through the learning curve of how policy is made,” she said. Courser was elected to the city council in 2014 and served until January 2019. She set her sights on S c h r a d e r ’s seat, Oregon’s fi fth district, out of a sense of growing frustration during her times in the same room with Schrader. “I was constantly frustrated by the lack of answers and excuses for not knowing what’s going on in our backyard. It was multiple a large swath of the central Oregon coast between Lincoln and Tillamook counties. Courser said her list of concerns is long, but she is most intent on listening at the moment. She and her team are in the process of setting up lis- tening sessions throughout — Amy Ryan Courser the 5th Dis- trict that will be known as 55 incorporated town and “Heart-to-Hearts with Amy.” cities with about 770,000 The fi rst listening session for residents. It includes portions the candidate will be Saturday, of Marion County, Clackamas Sept. 7, in Keizer at Jeff and County, Yamhill County and Sheryl’s, 165 McNary Estates regional issues, a multitude of things. With all the issues our state is facing, I didn’t see leadership,” Ryan said. As of the 2010 Census, Oregon’s 5th District covered “ I was constantly frustrated by the lack of answers and excuses for not knowing what’s going on in our backyard.” Drive. It begins at 10 a.m. Topping the list of Courser’s personal concerns is healthcare. On Tuesday, Sept. 3, she spoke with the Keizertimes during a surgery appointment for her father, a veteran. “My dad went in today for surgery at the VA (Veteran’s Administration) and it is a complete mess. Firsthand, I am dealing with that and seeing it’s not being addressed. The VA is fl ooded with need and people are dying,” Courser said. While she is able to act as an advocate for her father, others might not be as fortunate, Courser said. Zielinski re-convicted of murdering wife Brendan Murphy and Katie Suver were prepared for the new defense position. The prosecution brought forth witness after witness to detail Zielinski’s relationship with Lisa. Witnesses called to testify Payton kept asking over and over again, ‘Why did she have to die? Why did she have to go to heaven?’ — Det. Emanie Bravo, Marion County Sheriff’s Offi ce Lisa Zielinski mental health. Due to this exclusion, Zielinski, who originally pled not guilty, changed his plea to guilty with the condition that he could appeal the judge’s decision. It resulted in a sentence of 25 years to life in prison with a possibility of for his actions based on the mental health diagnosis he received. Oregon law allows for an extreme emotional disturbance (EED) defense. Zielinski’s attorneys were required by law to notify the prosecution that this would be their tactic. Deputy district attorneys RS CH E AT AY W PL TO R RY, SENIO QB, McNA KER // ERIK BAR SEE PAGE B4 PAGE A2 Photo by KEIZERTIMES/Dee Moore parole. Zielinski’s appeal was granted in 2017 and his sentence overturned, the case was sent back to the circuit court. Zielinski had hoped to be able to mount a defense Y • M M C KA Hoop schemes again Zielinski was previously tried for murder in 2013 during which the presiding Judge Dale Penn, siding with the state’s attorney’s, excluded psychological testimony relating to the defendant’s TBA SA LL LE M ST L FO E O • WE HO • O RAGU SC LE M SP IGH SA UT H E R LE H M • SO K E IZ H SA M - RY E • NO RT L SA C NA Please see COURSER, Page A6 Guilty By DEE MOORE For the Keizertimes For the second time in six years Peter Zielinski sat in the Marion County Circuit Court and heard the words “We the jury…do fi nd the defendant on the charge of murder, guilty.” Zielinski was charged with the murder in 2011 of his wife, Lisa. Zielinski was stoic as he sat between his two attorneys, Matthew Tracey and Aaron Jeffers. Their hope for a lesser charge or acquittal were dashed as the judge continued to read the rest of the jury’s verdict to the packed courtroom. “Was the defendant acting under the infl uence of an extreme emotional disturbance when he intentionally caused the death of Lisa Zielinski? No.” After eight days of testimony, Zielinski is once again facing a life sentence for the murder. He was slated to appear for sentencing on Thursday, Sept. 5. SECTION B described his controlling behavior. Corey Smith, once one of Zielinski’s closest friends, testifi ed that the defendant’s attitude was “my way or no way” that he “liked to win, he didn’t want to lose” whether it was a game or an argument. His church attendance, job history, fi nancial struggles and past lovers were brought forth to demonstrate Zielinski’s self-involvement and lack of concern for others. Two heartwrenching moments during the trial came when the prosecution played video-taped interviews with the defendant’s children which were made the day of Lisa’s murder. His oldest child Hunter, a daughter from a prior relationship, was 11 years old at the time she was interviewed by the Keizer police. His daughter with Lisa, Payton, was 5 years old when she was interviewed at Liberty House. At the time, neither child knew that Lisa was dead. While Payton had been home at the time of Lisa’s death she was not aware of it. Hunter was staying with her mother that week. Det. Emanie Bravo of the Marion County Sheriff ’s Offi ce testifi ed that she Please see GUILTY, Page A7 Gators get new cafeteria PAGE A4 Boys soccer preview PAGE A14