REGION
Saturday, October 23, 2021
East Oregonian
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Umatilla County reaches 150 COVID-19 deaths
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — At least 150 Umatilla
County residents have died of COVID-19, the
county’s health department reported Thurs-
day, Oct. 21.
The county reported four new COVID-
19 deaths in an Oct. 21 press release. Two
victims died in a single Pendleton nursing
home.
The disclosures mark another grim mile-
stone as the county continues to grapple with
the delta variant, the highly-infectious coro-
navirus strain that has spread rapidly among
the county’s unvaccinated residents in recent
months, inundating hospitals with patients.
But the county’s overall infection rates
have recently declined, following a positive
statewide trend. The county has reported a
weekly drop in cases for two consecutive
weeks.
The newly disclosed deaths came as the
county reports 50 new COVID-19 cases. The
daily total remains far higher than totals in
late spring and early summer, but it continues
a general downward trend in average daily
cases.
As of Oct. 21, the county averaged 34 cases
per day. That’s the lowest number since July
21.
But as with all previous pandemic
Man injured, another in jail after shooting
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — One
man is in the hospital and
another is in jail after a shoot-
ing in Pendleton Thursday,
Oct. 21.
Police booked Cody
James Fleming, 29, into the
Umatilla County Jail, Pend-
leton, on preliminary counts
of first-degree assault and
the unlawful use of a weapon
early Friday, Oct. 22. Brian L.
Frank, 36, is receiving treat-
ment at CHI St. Anthony,
Pendleton, for “multiple
gunshot wounds,” according
to a press release from Pend-
leton Police Chief Chuck
Byram.
Police responded to 318
S.E. Ninth St. at 9:21 p.m.
Oct. 21 after receiving a
report that a person had been
shot. Police arrived and found
someone in a private vehicle
already took the victim to the
hospital.
Police said an argument
among residents at the house
sparked the shooting.
The brother of a female
resident, who police identi-
fi ed as Frank, arrived at the
house. Police said an argu-
ment occurred between a
man living at the house and
“several others associated
with the female resident.”
That argument prompted
the man, who police iden-
tifi ed as Fleming, to shoot
“several” rounds from a .22
caliber handgun. Police said
several of those rounds struck
Frank.
Frank was admitted to the
hospital for treatment. Police
did not know his condition as
of Friday, Oct. 22.
Af ter investigating
the shooting and seizing
evidence, police consulted
the Umatilla County District
Attorney’s Office and
obtained a probable cause
affi davit charging Fleming
with fi rst-degree assault and
the unlawful use of a weapon.
Police booked Fleming
into the county jail Oct.
22 at 3:35 a.m. He remains
there on preliminary bail of
$260,000, according to the
jail’s website.
Police also will not
release more information
at this time, according to
the press release, and the
district attorney’s offi ce now
is handling further inquiries.
surges, COVID-19 deaths have followed in
large numbers. The county has reported 49
COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of
August. At least 23 residents died in August
alone, making it the pandemic’s deadliest
month in the county. The following are the
four deaths Umatilla County Public Heath
reported OCt. 21:
• The county’s 147th victim is an 86-year-
old woman who tested positive Aug. 6 and
died Aug. 20 at a private residence. She had
unspecifi ed underlying health conditions.
• The county’s 148th victim is a 70-year-
old woman who tested positive Aug. 31 and
died Sept. 10 at Willowbrooke Terrace Nurs-
ing Home, Pendleton. She had unspecifi ed
underlying health conditions.
• The county’s 149th victim is a 79-year-
old woman who tested positive Aug. 31 and
died Sept. 21 at Willowbrooke Terrace Nurs-
ing Home, Pendleton. She had unspecifi ed
underlying health conditions.
• The county’s 150th victim is a 78-year-
old man who tested positive Aug. 3 and died
Sept. 23 at the Milton-Freewater Health and
Rehabilitation Center. He had unspecifi ed
underlying health conditions.
Since the pandemic started, the county has
reported 14,450 confi rmed and presumptive
coronavirus cases.
State Supreme Court to hear Craigen appeal
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — The
Oregon Supreme Court in
March 2022 will hear an
appeal from a convicted
murderer from Umatilla
County.
George West Craigen,
of Milton-Freewater, was
sentenced in 2014 to life in
prison for murdering his neigh-
bor, Rob Carter, in 2011. But
the Oregon Court of Appeals
in 2018 overturned the case
due to errors at the trial.
Last week, the Oregon
Supreme Court at the request
of the Oregon Department of
Justice granted a review of the
case.
Craigen faced four counts
of possessing a fi rearm as a
convicted felon, with the latest
charge coming in 2011, and
was out of jail on bail when he
killed Carter.
After police caught him
following the homicide, he
told police during an inter-
view that Carter had set him
up in the latest gun case,
and that prompted the kill-
ing. A 12-person jury in 2014
found Craigen guilty of felon
in possession of a firearm,
unlawful use of a weapon,
altering a fi rearm’s identifi ca-
tion number and the murder.
But the appellate court
overturned the conviction,
ruling police should have
stopped their interview
with Craigen after he made
a statement connecting the
two cases. By continuing the
interview, the court ruled,
police violated Craigen’s
constitutional rights.
Umatilla County District
Attorney Dan Primus said
the Department of Justice
informed him it was seeking
the review. He said at this point
he does not have any more
information about the case.
Primus said the district
attorney’s offi ce has no role
while the case is in front of
the Supreme Court. He said
the case will be handled by
the appellate division of the
DOJ. The division will review
the case with consideration
of state law, write briefs and
make oral arguments in front
of the court.
“It’s all in their hands
at this point,” Primus said,
adding, “I stand by the work
we did previously, and we’ll
see what happens.”
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