RECORDS
Thursday, October 19, 2017
East Oregonian
PUBLIC SAFETY LOG
DEATH NOTICES
TUESDAY
Nancy Dee Sheoships Turner
8:37 a.m. - Hermiston police received a complaint about
a dog owner who lives in an apartment on West Juniper
Avenue and has a dog with a tumor “so large it drags on
the ground when the dog walks around, which causes it to
bleed.” The caller asked police to check on the dog.
10:24 a.m. - A caller at Irrigon Junior-Senior High School,
315 E. Wyoming, Irrigon, reported telephonic harassment.
A Morrow County sheriff’s deputy advised the other party to
stop the contact, and she said she understood.
11:46 a.m. - Three vehicles crashed and blocked traffic at
West Elm Avenue and North First Street, Hermiston, but there
were no reports of injuries.
12:55 p.m. - Stanfield police received a report of a vehicle
theft on North Thielsen Street, Echo.
4:47 p.m. - A caller reported a field fire by the cellphone
tower off Old Emigrant Road, Pendleton, near the site of the
last big fire.
4:59 p.m. - A resident on Columbia Lane, Irrigon, reported
a male came by the house and asked if he could do some
odd jobs to earn cash. The caller said this seemed suspicious
and asked the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office to check it out.
5:50 p.m. - Hermiston police responded to a report
of teens trying to break into the Tiki Hut at Butte Park,
Hermiston, and made an arrest.
6:10 p.m. - An anonymous caller asked Hermiston police
to respond to South Highway 395 and East Highland Avenue
to check on a man who was “yelling at the wind and beating
his head.”
6:37 p.m. - Umatilla police took a report of property
damage on Pendleton Avenue, Umatilla.
ARRESTS, CITATIONS
•Hermiston police arrested Ashley Brean Cox, 33, of
1230 S.E. Idaho Ave., Irrigon, for first-degree burglary and
second-degree criminal mischief.
•Hermiston police arrested Michelle Lynn Petska, 44, no
address provided, on a warrant and for felony possession of
a controlled substance.
COMING EVENTS
THURSDAY, OCT. 19
BOARDMAN
SENIOR
MEAL SERVICE, 12 p.m.,
Boardman Senior Center, 100
Tatone St., Boardman. Cost is
$4 for seniors 55 and over or
$5 for adults. (541-481-3257)
HERMISTON
SENIOR
MEAL SERVICE, 12 p.m., Our
Lady of Angels Catholic Church
parish hall, 565 W. Hermiston
Ave., Hermiston. Cost is $4 for
adults, free for children 10 and
under, $4 for Meals on Wheels.
Extra 50 cents for utensils/dish-
es. Bus service to parish hall by
donation. (541-567-3582)
PENDLETON
SENIOR
MEAL SERVICE, 12-1 p.m.,
Pendleton
Senior
Center,
510 S.W. 10th St., Pendleton.
Costs $3.50 or $6 for those
under 60. Pool, puzzles, crafts,
snacks, Second Time Around
thrift store 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For
Meals On Wheels, call 541-
276-1926. (541-276-7101)
SENSORY STORY TIME,
12:30 p.m., Boardman Public
Library, 200 S. Main St., Board-
man. For children from birth to
age 4. (541-481-2665)
SKILLS FOR LIFE, 3-5
p.m., Pendleton Recreation
Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave.,
Pendleton. Gym activities and
life skills for middle and high
school students. Registration
requested. (Danny Bane 541-
379-4250)
MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOK
CLUB, 4:30 p.m., Pendleton
Public Library, 502 S.W. Dorion
Ave., Pendleton. For youth in
sixth through eighth grades.
No registration required. (Mary
Finney 541-966-0380)
YARN CLUB, 5:30 p.m.,
Hermiston Public Library, 235
E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
(541-567-2882)
DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE
SERVICES REMEMBRANCE
WALK, 5:30 p.m., Tienda del
Sol II, 203 Kinkade Road,
Boardman. Join others to show
support for domestic violence
victims and survivors. Free.
(541-276-3322)
DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE
SERVICES REMEMBRANCE
WALK, 5:30 p.m., Sub Shop
No. 38, 4 S.E. Ninth Ave., Mil-
ton-Freewater. Join others to
show support for domestic vi-
olence victims and survivors.
Free. (541-276-3322)
THE
ARC
UMATILLA
COUNTY BINGO, 6-10 p.m.,
The Arc Building, 215 W. Or-
chard Ave., Hermiston. Doors
open at 6 p.m., seats may be
held until 6:30 p.m., then all
seats first come, first served;
games begin at 7 p.m. Pro-
ceeds benefit Umatilla County
citizens with developmental
disabilities. 18 years or older,
must have proof of age and
photo I.D. Basic pot $20, priz-
es range from $20-$750. (541-
567-7615)
FIDDLERS NIGHT, 6:30-
8:30 p.m., Brookdale Assisted
Living, 980 W. Highland Ave.,
Hermiston. Enjoy light refresh-
ments, listen to some favorite
oldies or join in the jam ses-
sion. All ages welcome. (541-
567-3141)
FIRST DRAFT WRITERS’
SERIES, 7-9 p.m., Pendleton
Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main
St., Pendleton. Ki Russell and
Matt Schumacher will share
from their work. Open mic slots
of 3-5 minutes available follow-
ing main presentation. Free.
(Roberta Lavadour 541-278-
9201)
FRIDAY, OCT. 20
FREE FRIDAY MEDICARE
MADNESS, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.,
Good Shepherd Medical Cen-
ter, 610 N.W. 11th St., Herm-
iston. Get answers to Medi-
care questions and assistance
with prescription plans and
open enrollment. Oct. 27 and
Nov. 10 session in conference
rooms 5-6; all other dates in
conference room 7. (541-667-
3507)
STORY TIME, 10:15 a.m.,
Hermiston Public Library, 235
E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
(541-567-2882)
TODDLER STORY TIME,
10:15-11 a.m., Pendleton Pub-
lic Library, 502 S.W. Dorion
Ave., Pendleton. (541-966-
0380)
STORY AND CRAFT TIME,
2 p.m., Echo Public Library, 20
S. Bonanza, Echo. (541-376-
8411)
NIGHT AT THE CHIL-
DREN’S MUSEUM, 5-8:30
p.m., Children’s Museum of
Eastern Oregon, 400 S. Main
St., Pendleton. Includes din-
ner, games, crafts and a mov-
ie. Costs $20 members/$25
non-members, $10 for each
additional child. Preregistration
required. (541-276-1066)
VFW BINGO, 6 p.m., Herm-
iston VFW, 45 W. Cherry St.,
Hermiston. Doors open at 6
p.m., games begin at 7 p.m.
Everyone welcome. (541-567-
6219)
SAGE CENTER MOVIE
EVENT, 7:15 p.m., SAGE Cen-
ter, 101 Olson Road, Board-
man. Watch “The LEGO Bat-
man Movie” and enjoy a bag of
popcorn with $3 admission fee.
Bottled water and concessions
available for cash purchase.
(Stefanie Swindler 541-481-
7243)
LOTTERY
Tuesday, Oct. 17
Mega Millions
31-45-49-56-70
Mega Ball: 11
Megaplier: 5
Estimated jackpot: $15 M
Lucky Lines
01-06-09-15-FREE-17-21-27-31
Estimated jackpot: $15,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 7-8-2-5
4 p.m.: 7-5-5-5
7 p.m.: 2-5-1-6
10 p.m.: 1-8-3-2
Wednesday, Oct. 18
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 8-0-5-7
MEETINGS
Kennewick, Wash.
May 9, 1964 - Oct. 17, 2017
Nancy Dee Sheoships Turner, 53, of Kennewick, Wash.,
died Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, in Seattle. She was born May
9, 1964, in Pendleton. A dressing ceremony will be held
Thursday, Oct. 19 at 11 a.m. at Pendleton Pioneer Chapel,
Folsom-Bishop. Burial will be held Friday, Oct. 20 at 11 a.m.
at Olney Cemetery. Arrangements are with Pendleton Pioneer
Chapel, Folsom-Bishop.
UPCOMING SERVICES
THURSDAY, OCT. 19
TURNER, NANCY — Dressing ceremony at 11 a.m. at
Pendleton Pioneer Chapel, Folsom-Bishop, 131 S.E. Byers Ave.
WONDRA, EILEEN — Funeral service at 11 a.m. at
Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home, 902 S. Main St., Milton-Free-
water.
FRIDAY, OCT. 20
KELLY, IRENE — Memorial services at 2 p.m. at Munselle-
Rhodes Funeral Home, 902 S. Main St., Milton-Freewater.
MCELROY, GINGER — Celebration of life service at 2
p.m. at the Stanfield Moose Lodge, 615 W. Coe Ave.
SPOMER, JANET — Celebration of life memorial service
at 2 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 485 W. Locust Ave.,
Hermiston.
TURNER, NANCY — Burial at 11 a.m. at Olney Cemetery,
Pendleton.
THURSDAY, OCT. 19
TOPS, 6 p.m., Peace Lutheran
Church, 210 N.W. Ninth St., Pend-
leton. 6 p.m. weigh-in, 6:30-7:30
p.m. meeting. (Heather Endersby
541-969-6997)
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS,
6:30 p.m., Helping Hand, 346 S.E.
Second St., Pendleton.
ADDICTION
RECOVERY
PROGRAM, 7 p.m., Seventh-day
Adventist Church seminary build-
ing, 800 S. First St., Hermiston.
Everyone is welcome. (Kim Puzey
541-567-3622)
WALK AND ROLL SUPPORT
GROUP, 7 p.m., Buttercreek Apart-
ments No. 33, 405 S.W. 11th St.,
Hermiston. For anyone who is dis-
abled or in a wheelchair and has
issues with access or rights, or
caregivers of handicapped people.
(Nana Carpenter 541-303-3359)
OPEN AA MEETING, 7 p.m.,
complex, 680 W. Harper Road,
Hermiston. (800-410-5953)
OPEN AA MEETING, 7:30
p.m., First United Methodist Church,
191 E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
HEPPNER MIRACLES OPEN
AA MEETING, 7:30 p.m., All Saints
Episcopal Church parish hall, 140
W. Church St., Heppner. (800-410-
5953)
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS,
7:30-9 p.m., First United Methodist
Church, 191 E. Gladys Ave., Herm-
iston.
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS,
7:30 p.m., Wesley United Meth-
odist Church, 816 S. Main St., Mil-
ton-Freewater.
73300 July Grounds Lane, Mis-
sion. (541-966-2680)
UMATILLA BASIN WA-
TERSHED COUNCIL, 6 p.m.,
Eastern Oregon Higher Educa-
tion Center, 975 S.E. Columbia
Drive, Hermiston. (Michael T.
Ward 541-276-2190)
HERMISTON CITY COUN-
CIL, 7 p.m., Hermiston City Hall
council chambers, 180 N.E. Sec-
ond St., Hermiston. (541-567-
5521)
M I LT O N - F R E E WAT E R
CITY COUNCIL, 7 p.m., Mil-
ton-Freewater Public Library Al-
bee Room, 8 S.W. EIghth Ave.,
Milton-Freewater.
(541-938-
5531)
IRRIGON
COMMUNITY
PARKS & RECREATION DIS-
TRICT, 7 p.m., Irrigon Fire Sta-
tion, 705 N. Main St., Irrigon.
(541-922-3047)
For a complete listing
of regional events, visit
easternoregonevents.com
THURSDAY, OCT. 19
BUTTER CREEK IRRIGA-
TION DISTRICT, 8 a.m., River
Point Farms conference room,
28790 Westport Lane, Herm-
iston. (Bonnie Kyger 509-820-
3202)
ECHO IRRIGATION DIS-
TRICT, 8:30 a.m., River Point
Farms conference room, 28790
Westport Lane, Hermiston.
(Bonnie Kyger 509-820-3202)
HERMISTON IRRIGATION
DISTRICT, 4 p.m., Hermiston
Irrigation District office confer-
ence room, 366 E. Hurlburt Ave.,
Hermiston. (541-567-3024)
ECHO CITY COUNCIL, 4
p.m., Old VFW Hall, 210 W.
Bridge St., Echo. (541-376-8411)
UMATILLA COUNTY SPE-
CIAL LIBRARY DISTRICT, 5:15
p.m., Pendleton Center for the
Arts boardroom, 214 N. Main St.,
Pendleton. (Erin McCusker 541-
276-6449)
TUESDAY, OCT. 24
EAST IMPROVEMENT DIS-
TRICT, 9 a.m., IRZ conference
room, 500 N. First St., Hermis-
ton. (Mathew Vickery 509-820-
3234)
IONE SCHOOL DISTRICT,
3:30 p.m., Ione Community
School, 445 Spring St., Ione.
(541-422-7131)
MORROW COUNTY PLAN-
NING COMMISSION, 7 p.m.,
Port of Morrow Riverfront Cen-
ter, 2 Marine Drive, Boardman.
(Stephanie Loving 541-922-
4624)
FRIDAY, OCT. 20
No meetings scheduled
MONDAY, OCT. 23
NIXYAAWII COMMUNITY
SCHOOL BOARD, 4:30 p.m.,
Nixyaawii Community School,
OBITUARY POLICY
The East Oregonian publishes paid obituaries. The obituary can include small photos and, for veterans, a flag symbol at no charge. Obituaries may
be edited for spelling, proper punctuation and style. Expanded death notices will be published at no charge. These include information about services.
Obituaries and notices can be submitted online at www.eastoregonian.com/obituaryform, by email to obits@eastoregonian.com, by fax to 541-276-
8314, placed via the funeral home or in person at the East Oregonian office. For more information, call 541-966-0818 or 1-800-522-0255, ext. 221.
Oregon murder case shows obstacles to DNA testing
By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press
SALEM — Jesse Johnson was
accused in 1998 of fatally stabbing
a nurse’s aide in her apartment. He
repeatedly said he was innocent, his
DNA wasn’t on any of the tested murder
evidence, and he refused a plea deal.
Johnson was convicted of aggravated
murder and sentenced to death.
Nearly two decades after Harriet
Thompson, 28, was killed in Salem, a
judge is considering a request from the
Oregon Innocence
Project to allow
DNA
testing
of
crime-scene
evidence in the
case.
The tests, using
techniques that had
not been developed
when
Johnson
went on trial in
2004, could lead to Johnson
the real killer and
exonerate Johnson,
his lawyers say.
“This case cries out for finding out
what’s in those other items,” Steven
Wax, legal director of the Oregon
Innocence Project, told the judge. “The
person who was convicted is excluded
from so many pieces of evidence in the
crime. There are questions here, and a
man’s life on death row.”
But Judge Channing Bennet this
month said he was not sure if Oregon
law allows him to grant the tests.
DNA tests have set free more than
350 wrongly convicted people in the
United States since 1989, including 20
who were on death row. Johnson’s case
shows that getting authorization for tests
to be carried out can be a challenge.
Thompson was found in her
blood-spattered home by her landlord.
Johnson was later found selling some
of her jewelry but denied ever having
been in her apartment. After his DNA
was found there on items unrelated to
the murder, he acknowledged having
visited her socially but insisted he was
not there when Thompson was killed.
In 2015, the Oregon Legislature
tackled a DNA testing statute enacted
14 years earlier which set the bar high
for those convicted of crimes to request
DNA tests.
Wax, a former federal defense lawyer
who has also represented detainees held
at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. military
prison, said only two motions for testing
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, file
In this Nov. 18, 2011 file photo, the leg tie downs are shown on the gurney
in the execution room at the Oregon State Penitentiary, in Salem. Jesse
Johnson is on Oregon’s death row after being convicted of murdering a
woman in 1998, yet his DNA wasn’t on any of the tested evidence related
to the murder, and he says he’s innocent. Now, a judge is considering
whether to allow modern DNA tests, which Johnson’s attorneys say could
lead to the real killer and exonerate Johnson.
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OPEN AA MEETING, 8 p.m.,
United Church of Christ, 114 S. East
St., Condon. (800-410-5953)
FRIDAY, OCT. 20
OPEN AA MEETING, 12 p.m.,
complex, 680 W. Harper Road,
Hermiston. (800-410-5953)
CELEBRATE
RECOVERY
GROUP, 6 p.m., Salvation Army,
150 S.E. Emigrant Ave., Pendleton.
(541-276-3369)
OPEN AA MEETING, 7 p.m.,
Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center,
73265 Confederated Way, Mission.
(800-410-5953)
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS,
7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the
Redeemer, 241 S.E. Second St.,
Pendleton.
OPEN AA MEETING, 7 p.m.,
complex, 680 W. Harper Road,
Hermiston. (800-410-5953)
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS,
7:30-9 p.m., First United Methodist
Church, 191 E. Gladys Ave., Herm-
iston.
OPEN AA MEETING, 7:30
p.m., Ione Community Church, 395
Main St., Ione. (800-410-5953)
SATURDAY, OCT. 21
AA OPEN BOOK STUDY, 10
a.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church,
665 E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
OPEN AA MEETING, 12 p.m.,
complex, 680 W. Harper Road,
Hermiston. (800-410-5953)
OPEN AA MEETING, 7 p.m.,
United Church of Christ, 114 S. East
St., Condon. (800-410-5953)
In the courtroom, Judge Bennett
asked Wax how DNA testing would
establish Johnson’s innocence, with his
question seemingly guided by the 2001
DNA statute.
Wax explained that blood was found
on a sink where the killer is believed to
have washed up. He said that if DNA
tests show it came from someone other
than Johnson or Thompson, and if that
same person’s DNA is on Thompson’s
clothing and on the murder weapon, that
is “compelling evidence” of Johnson’s
innocence.
Prosecutor Katie Suver objected to
the request for testing, saying it “would
continue to delay the execution of the
sentence and the finality of the case.”
She said the jury that convicted
Johnson already knew his DNA was not
found on any of the case’s murder-linked
evidence that was tested for DNA.
But DNA technology available during
Johnson’s trial could only exclude him
as a suspect, Brittney Plesser, another of
Johnson’s lawyers, told the judge. Now
the testing can provide matches to other
people, including profiles on an FBI
database, she said.
Tests might also produce a match
to a man who has a criminal record of
violence against women and whose
semen was found inside the victim,
Johnson’s lawyers said. The man was
questioned by police years ago but
wasn’t arrested.
had been granted from 2001 to 2015.
Wax did not know how many had been
requested but says it’s likely that many
convicts didn’t request testing because it
was so hard to get approval from judges.
The 2001 law said a court could
authorize testing only if it found “there
is a reasonable possibility that the
testing ... would establish the innocence
of the person.”
Aliza Kaplan, who in 2015 was with
the Oregon Innocence Project, told
lawmakers: “This standard creates a
Catch-22, essentially requiring a person
to prove their innocence before testing
is granted, when the whole point is to
determine guilt or innocence after the
results are in.”
The new 2015 bill, as introduced,
said a convicted person must show
testing would “lead to a finding that the
person would not have been convicted
or would have received a lesser sentence
if the DNA test results had been admitted
at trial.”
But a House committee amended
the bill, specifying that a convicted
person must show the tests would “lead
to a finding that the person is actually
innocent of the offense.” That version
was unanimously approved by the
Legislature.
That statute could now impact
Johnson’s case in the Marion County
Circuit Court, just three blocks from the
marble-domed state Capitol.
SUPPORT GROUPS
OPEN SUPPORT GROUP, 10
a.m.-12 p.m., Bowman Building, 17
S.W. Frazer Ave., Pendleton. (541-
276-6671 or 541-379-1589)
LOST AND FOUND YOUTH
OUTREACH, 3 p.m., Pendle-
ton Recreation Center, 510 S.W.
Dorion Ave., Pendleton. Help for
youth 12-18 facing challenges.
(Danny or Leslie 541-379-4250 or
541-276-3987)
HEALTHY CHOICES AA
MEETING, 5-6:30 p.m., St. Antho-
ny Hospital conference room 1,
2801 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton.
(541-207-2548)
WOMEN FOR SOBRIETY
SUPPORT GROUP, 5:30-7 p.m.,
First Christian Church, 516 S. Main
St., Milton-Freewater. New mem-
bers welcome. (Kimberlie Krieg
541-861-3283)
CELEBRATE
RECOVERY,
6-9 p.m., First Assembly of God
Church, 1911 S.E. Court Ave.,
Pendleton. 6-7 p.m. large group,
6-8 p.m. Celebration Place (children
K-5), 7-8 p.m. open share group,
8-9 p.m. Solid Rock Cafe social
time (all ages). Christ-centered 12-
step program for those with hurts,
habits and hangups. Childcare is
available for children ages 1-5.
(541-276-6417)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE/SEX-
UAL ASSAULT WOMEN’S SUP-
PORT GROUP, 6-7:30 p.m., call for
location, call for location, Pendleton.
Sponsored by Domestic Violence
Services. (541-276-3322)
Page 5A
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10/19
Cineplex Show Times
$5 Classic Movie
10/25 12:00 PM
Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)
Happy Death Day
(PG 13)
5:00 7:30 10:10
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The Foreigner (R)
4:40 7:10 10:00
Blade Runner 2049 (R)
3:00* 6:20 9:40
My Little Pony (PG)
4:30 7:00 9:30
The Mountain
Between Us (PG13)
4:50 7:20 9:50
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Tickets available now!
Credit & Debit Cards accepted
Cineplex gift cards available
* Matinee Pricing
wildhorseresort.com
541-966-1850
Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
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