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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2019)
A3 THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 Consult Man who killed Rainier police a chief pleads guilty to murder PROFESSIONAL Butts will not be eligible for parole until he’s 70 and will be returned to the Ore- gon State Hospital in Salem. He essentially was sen- tenced to 48 years and nine months under an unusual “dual jurisdiction sentence” governed by both the state Psychiatric Security Review Board and the Oregon Department of Corrections. His sentence starts from the date of the crime, with Butts getting credit for the eight plea in a homicide case, but Auxier said he believed “it was appropriate under the circumstances.’’ “This plea agreement acknowledges that there is substantial evidence that Daniel Butts does in fact suf- fer from a mental illness, but that his mental illness was never an excuse for the kill- ing of Chief Ralph Painter,’’ Auxier said. Butts, of Kalama, Wash- ington , has been housed most recently at the Oregon State Hospital and ordered to face regular mental health evaluations. Painter, 55, was a 25-year veteran of the Rainier Police Department and led the force for fi ve years. His death dev- astated the small commu- nity of about 2,000 on the Columbia River and left his large family, friends and col- leagues grief-stricken. Police say Butts wrested Painter’s gun away during a struggle on Jan. 5, 2011, after the police chief responded to the Sound Authority stereo shop on a call about a man Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 11-4 503-325-2300 1000’s of parts, accessories, cables, chargers, etc in stock ads, say goodbye to video A: Block ads, pop-ups, flashing banners and more. Blocking these annoyances means pages load faster. In addition, blocking intrusive ads reduces the risk of “malvertising” infections. Blocking tracking stops companies following your online activity. Open a browser and go to “adblockplus.org” Click on the download button, and allow it to install. Install it on each of your browsers. Q: If I have a minor water leak in my home from a plumbing fixture or appliance should I have a restoration company out? Family approved Painter’s family approved the plea deal, partially to put an end to the extensive legal maneuverings, hoping the plea would curtail an appeal, said one of Painter’s younger brothers, Alan Painter, 62. Alan Painter said he hasn’t seen any police reports but contends the police chief was knocked out and then Butts took Ralph Painter’s gun out of his hol- ster and “proceeded to shoot him execution style.” Another brother, Manuel Painter, told Butts, “I, too, have problems with men- tal illness and drugs. My brother was right there to help me. ... That day, if you would have asked, he would have helped you. .. I don’t hate you. 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He’ll initially be under the author- ity of the psychiatric review board and it will be up to the board to determine when or if he’ll ever be transferred to prison, according to the law- yers involved in the case. Columbia County Dis- trict Attorney Jeffrey Auxier called the plea deal a “prac- tical, pragmatic decision,” recognizing Butts’ substan- tial mental illness. The judge accepted a psychological evaluation from March 20 that said Butts suffered from schizophrenia at the time of the killing and still does. Butts was able to enter guilty pleas to the mur- der and attempted murder charges because the judge last July found Butts’ symp- toms of schizophrenia had diminished with hospitaliza- tion and forced medication and that he was competent to aid in his own defense. The sentencing marks the end of years of legal wran- gling over Butts’ mental state and came after several sit-down settlement con- ferences led by Multnomah County Senior Judge Jean K. Maurer between September and January. It also marked a departure for the Colum- bia County District Attor- ney’s Offi ce to consider a LEO FINZI Astoria’s Best.com 10TH STREET Eligible for parole Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian Daniel Armaugh Butts fatally shot Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter eight years ago. all these ads I keep getting? ASTORIA TRANSIT CENTER Daniel Armaugh Butts, who fatally shot Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter eight years ago using the chief’s own gun, pleaded guilty Tuesday to aggra- vated murder and was sen- tenced to life with the pos- sibility of parole after nearly 49 years. He also pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated mur- der and guilty except for insanity to six other charges. Butts, 29, muttered, “Yes, your honor,’’ when Colum- bia County Circuit Judge Ted E. Grove asked him if those were his pleas in a court- room packed with Painter’s seven children, mother, two brothers and former police colleagues, as well as Butts’ family members. Butts wore a blue suit and blue-striped tie and sat at the far end of the defense table beside his two lawyers. He looked down during most of the two-hour hearing. Ten members of Paint- er’s family spoke. They took turns sitting at the oppo- site end of the prosecution table, facing Butts. A hand- ful of Columbia County sheriff’s deputies stood in the entrance to the court- room and two deputies stood behind Butts. Photos of Painter, in uni- form as chief and with his children and grandchildren, were set up in a display at the front of the courtroom. Painter’s wife, Amy, said Butts robbed Ralph Painter’s children and grandchildren of many years with their loving and caring father and “Papa Ralph’’ who enjoyed taking them fi shing and hunting and was preparing the night before his death to return home to help his youngest son, Riley, then 7, with basketball drills before his fi rst practice. She said the love of her life died “protecting his community from evil.’’ The family has put its faith in the criminal justice system, “but there is no penalty harsh enough,’’ she said. “You did not succeed in ruining our lives,” she told Butts. “We still live on with Ralph’s memory. I choose to forget how Ralph died. I choose to only remember how Ralph lived.” Riley Painter, now 15, sat beside his mother and tear- fully read a typed letter to his father, sharing how he wished he could get “one more shoulder ride’’ or “one more Disney trip’’ with his father. Riley said he’s now running track and thinks his father would be proud of him. “I now have more time without you than I had with you — 7 years, three months and fi ve days,’’ he said. He then looked up at Butts and struggled to continue, but added, “You may have taken my dad’s life but his spirit will always live on. I can only wish for one more bear hug, but I will never get one.” Mother Kathy Painter, 83, helped to the prosecu- tion’s table with her young- est son, Manuel Painter, began, “You took my son ... I feel you killed my son in cold blood. I also feel you knew what you were doing. No family should wait eight years to have justice for their loved one.” Q: How can I block Water & Mold Damage By MAXINE BERNSTEIN The Oregonian acting suspiciously. Butts shot Painter once in the head. Butts was wounded in a short gun battle with other offi cers. One of the attempted mur- der charges involved Clats- kanie Police Chief Marvin Hoover, who raced to the scene and got into a shootout with Butts. The other involved civilian Charles Buchanan, who “exposed himself to great harm’’ while rushing up to render imme- diate aid to Painter “after he was executed,’’ Auxier told the court. The guilty-except-for-in- sanity pleas came on two counts of fi rst-degree rob- bery with a gun, two counts of fi rst-degree burglary with a gun and one count each of unauthorized use of a vehi- cle and fi rst-degree theft. Structure & Storm Damage Butts eligible for parole in 49 years possible for someone Q: Is to it change your final disposition arrangements if they are prepaid?? is extremely difficult for A: It someone to arbitrarily make Eric J. Anderson - Funeral Director Hughes- Ransom Mortuary Astoria: 576 12th St. 503.325.2535 Seaside: 220 N. Holladay 503.738.6622 www.hughes-ransom.com changes to a prepaid prearrangement in the State of Oregon because the law is written in favor of the responsible party who prepaid their final expenses. Ergo, someone cannot change the wishes of the individual who prepaid for full casket burial to cremation or vice versa. 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