ON STAGE: Elvis wows the crowd in Stanfield | REGION, A3
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143rd year, No. 119
REGONIAN
Tuesday, april 2, 2019
$1.50
WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Appeals
court
overturns
murder
conviction
KIDS ON THE RUN
George Craigen
may get a new trial
in 2014 case
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
The Oregon Court of
appeals reversed the mur-
der conviction of former
Milton-Freewater resident
George West Craigen.
roy Blaine, trial court
administrator for umatilla
County Circuit Court, said
the appeals court in two rul-
ings found errors at trial and
sent the case back, but it’s
too early to tell if that results
in a new trial.
Craigen, 56, is at Snake
river Correctional institu-
tion, Ontario, serving a life
sentence for the 2011 mur-
der of his neighbor, rob
Carter.
Craigen that year faced a
criminal case of four counts
of felon in possession of a
firearm. The state brought
one charge in 1991, another
in 1994 and the last two in
2011. Craigen hired pendle-
ton attorney dean Gushwa
to defend him. The case had
a status hearing dec. 30,
2011, in umatilla County
Circuit Court.
Craigen was out of jail on
bail and that morning shot
and killed Carter.
Craigen evaded police
for two days during a large
and intensive man hunt. a
tip led to his capture. Mil-
ton-Freewater police detec-
tive robert Guerrero and
Oregon state police detec-
tive Jeremy Gunter recorded
their questioning of Crai-
gen. during the interview,
Craigen claimed Carter set
him up on the 2011 weapons
charges and that led to the
deadly shooting.
Craigen’s trial began
sept. 15, 2014, and con-
cluded two weeks later when
the 12-person jury found
him guilty of felon in pos-
session of a firearm, unlaw-
ful use of a weapon, alter-
ing a firearm’s identification
number and the murder.
The appellate court in
a November 2018 ruling
ruled the police should have
ceased the interview when
Craigen connected the gun
case to the murder inves-
tigation. Continuing the
interview, according to the
ruling, violated Craigen’s
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
A group of McNary Heights Elementary fifth-graders run around the perimeter of the school’s grass field during recess on Monday while participating
in the McNary Marathon in Umatilla.
students pace themselves for McNary Marathon
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
On Monday morning, some stu-
dents from McNary Heights ele-
mentary school ran at full speed
around the perimeter of the school’s
grass field, while others took a
slower approach.
all of them were working
toward the school’s fitness goals,
as part of the 33rd annual McNary
Marathon, which had started that
day. The Marathon is a two-week
event, where students are encour-
aged to spend their 20-minute
lunch recess doing laps around the
field.
Mairiani Aparicio flew through
the laps. The second-grader will
start track this week, and said she
is looking forward to getting better
at the sport.
“My favorite thing being out
here is to run fast,” she said.
While not all students were
sprinting, most said they enjoy get-
ting out and walking or jogging a
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Carol Clements uses a hole punch to mark student score cards as they com-
plete a lap while participating in the McNary Marathon in Umatilla.
few laps every day.
several of them set goals for
themselves, to run a certain amount
each day, or by the end of the two
weeks.
“i want to do 10 laps in one
day,” said second-grader aryanna
Banda.
“The kids will fine-tune,” said
principal rick Cotterell. “They
pace themselves over the two
weeks.”
each student is given a card, and
adults are stationed at each cor-
ner of the field to punch the card
every time they complete a lap.
each student aims to complete a
certain number of laps in the two-
week period, to meet grade level
standards.
after the two-week event is
over, school p.e. teacher Brandt
lind said they will have an assem-
bly. Children who met the standard,
as well as those who ran the most
laps, get recognized. students also
have the opportunity to win prizes
for completing laps.
He said the point of the event is
to encourage all levels of fitness,
rather than to run a certain dis-
tance. still, he said, there are stu-
dents who will run the whole time,
and cover a lot of ground.
“If a fourth- or fifth-grader can
make it above 80 laps in eight days,
See Marathon, Page A10
Minthorn selected as Westward Ho! grand marshal
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
See Conviction, Page A10
Contributed photo
Toni Minthorn will serve as this year’s grand marshal for the
Westward Ho! Parade.
The grand marshal for this year’s West-
ward Ho! parade has been involved with
the pendleton round-up and Happy
Canyon since she was a baby.
Toni Minthorn was announced as
parade marshal saturday, and on Mon-
day said she was still in shock.
“i still can’t believe it’s me, but i’m
thrilled,” she said. “it’s quite an honor.”
Minthorn, who was born and raised
in pendleton, is a member of the Con-
federated Tribes of the umatilla indian
reservation and works for the CTuir as
director of the enrollment department.
She was the first person to ever serve on
both the pendleton round-up and Happy
Canyon courts.
When she was just nine months old
she camped at the village during the
pendleton round-up and participated
in the Westward Ho! Parade for the first
time, according to a news release. at age
seven, she and her sister pulled a travois
through Happy Canyon.
in 1978 she was chosen as the only
Happy Canyon princess, and in 1982
she again became royalty, this time as a
pendleton round-up princess. she said
riding in during the grand entry was a
special moment that will stay with her
forever.
“When i was little, we would ride
horses out there after the rodeo and jump
the fence and fantasize, so i had that
dream,” she said.
Minthorn has continued to volunteer
for the pendleton round-up and Happy
Canyon throughout her life, with a partic-
ular focus in working with young women
participating in the event. she has served
the Happy Canyon court as their chaper-
one since 2004 and coached the pendleton
Round-Up court officially since 2006 and
See Marshal, Page A10
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as a Patient -Centered Primary Care Home.
What does that mean for you?
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• After-hours nurse consultation.
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3001 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton
WWW.SAHPENDLETON.ORG
Mon through Thurs, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Sat and Sun, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred.