HOME & GARDEN SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
152nd Year • No. 22 • 18 Pages • $1.50
MyEagleNews.com
Suspects identified in homicide of missing
couple whose house burned down in 2018
District attorney plans to take evidence to
grand jury when social distancing allows
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Closure may be coming almost
two years after a couple vanished
after their cabin became engulfed in
flames in the Laycock Creek Road
area.
Grant County District Attor-
ney Jim Carpenter said May 20 he
planned to prosecute suspects in the
murder of Terry and Sharon Smith.
“There are suspects in the case,”
Carpenter told the Eagle, “and a
substantial amount of evidence that
points to the suspects, such that, I
will be taking it to the grand jury.”
Carpenter said, as soon as grand
juries can meet without social dis-
tancing restrictions, he plans to take
the case to a grand jury, and he antic-
ipates an indictment.
The couple and their pickup were
not found after their home on Nan’s
Rock Road between John Day and
Mt. Vernon burned down in the early
morning hours of July 18, 2018.
The case evolved into a homi-
cide after investigators confirmed
DNA samples from remains found in
the residence belonged to Terry and
Sharon Smith. The pickup was later
located in Boise, Idaho.
Carpenter said the Oregon Depart-
Contributed photo
District Attorney Jim Carpenter said
the 2018 homicides of Terry and Sha-
ron Smith will be prosecuted as soon as
social distancing restrictions are eased
and a grand jury can be summoned.
ment of Justice was brought in as a
special prosecutor for Grant County,
and the DOJ had been directing the
investigation and working toward
prosecution.
He said, several months ago,
Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer
requested the case back from the
DOJ to have it prosecuted in Grant
County.
Carpenter said, because of limited
resources, he attempted to bring in a
special prosecutor, a local attorney
whom he declined to name, who ini-
tially agreed to take the case but then
backed out after receiving the materi-
als from the DOJ.
“It was initially assigned to the
Department of Justice because I sim-
ply didn’t have the resources to take
care of it,” Carpenter said. “I still
don’t, but there are no other options.
The Department of Justice isn’t going
to take it back.”
The case is being investigated by
the Oregon State Police and Grant
County Sheriff’s Office with the
assistance of the FBI Bend office.
“I’ve discussed the case recently
with the FBI, and they are assisting
the sheriff’s office with a few final
steps in the investigation,” Carpen-
ter said.
Grant County Sheriff Glenn
Palmer declined to comment in an
email on May 14, stating it was “an
ongoing criminal investigation.”
Family and friends told the Eagle
about the social nature of Terry and
Sharon Smith and how unusual it
would be for them to disappear for
any length of time without communi-
cating with their friends and family.
“The Smiths’ friends and
See Couple, Page A10
Raschio and
Carpenter to
face off
in November
No candidate for judge
received 50% of the vote
in the primary
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Annabelle Raschio delivers a hot meal Tuesday at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church. The church, along with businesses and members of the com-
munity, has provided meals since March 17.
St. Elizabeth’s Church distributes hot meals
Shannon Taylor
carries containers
of hot meals to
deliver around
the county.
The Eagle
Steven Mitchell
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
As grim economic statistics continue to roll
in, with unemployment reaching an all-time
high of 14.7% in April and 20.5 million people
losing their jobs, the coronavirus pandemic has
left many without the means to buy food.
For over two months, the St. Elizabeth of
Hungary Catholic Church, along with various
businesses and volunteers — members of the
congregation and nonmembers — stepped up to
feed the hungry in the community.
Every Tuesday, from mid-March through
May 26, St. Elizabeth offered hot meals for pick
up or delivery.
The team of volunteers, a diverse collabo-
ration of businesses and private citizens from
all different walks of life came together with a
common goal of providing someone in the com-
munity a hot meal once a week.
Rob Raschio, a volunteer, said both Russell’s
Custom Meats and local family Clint and Etelie
Benge donated food, while Cornerstone Church
See Meals, Page A10
Grant Union adjusts graduation ceremony plans
Each graduate now allowed two cars for
family members for drive-in ceremony
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant Union has made several
adjustments to its planned graduation
ceremony May 30 after Grant Union
Principal Ryan Gerry had a chance to
speak with graduates’ parents.
Each graduate will now be able to
have two vehicles for family mem-
bers, and a system will be in place to
ensure a graduate’s family will be able
to see them receive their diploma.
During a Grant School District
board meeting May 20, Marissa Wil-
liams, mother of graduating senior
Taylor Allen, said she appreciated the
work the staff has done to ensure rec-
ognition for the seniors, but she and
other parents had concerns about the
plans. She said 20 parents contacted
her.
“I understand we have a limited
amount of time to make changes,
and there is a process of approval,
but I believe our family and students
deserve up to the last minute to get the
most out of this experience as possi-
ble,” Williams said.
Williams shared three major con-
cerns: being able to see their graduate
receive their diploma in the drive-in
setting, possible parking disputes and
split families being allowed only one
vehicle.
Williams said there will be par-
ents who may not be able to see their
graduate, and with emotions running
high, everyone will be vying for front-
row parking spots, which could cause
issues prior to the ceremony.
Williams said there are also split
families who aren’t able to be in the
same room, but families are being
asked to be in the same vehicle.
Ryan
Gerry
Marissa
Williams
“Myself, along with a group of
parents, have spent hours brainstorm-
ing possible plans that would be safe
and help alleviate emotional clashes
in the parking lot while meeting (the
Oregon Department of Education’s)
guidelines,” Williams said.
Gerry spoke with Williams and
other concerned parents Thursday
before announcing the changes.
He said there was already a plan
in place for parking. The Grant Union
parking lot will be barricaded on
May 28. On graduation day, there
will be one entrance, and staff will
See Graduation, Page A10
The race to determine the next cir-
cuit court judge for Grant and Harney
counties will likely move on to the
November election
after no candidates
received 50% of the
vote in the primary.
According
to
the final unofficial
results Wednesday
morning, John Day
Jim
attorney Rob Raschio
received 46.8% of Carpenter
the votes for the
24th District, fol-
lowed by Grant
County
District
Attorney Jim Car-
penter with 32.6%
and Burns attorney
Rob
John Lamborn with
Raschio
20.3%.
Write-in
candidates received 0.25%.
“I look forward to going down
there (to Harney County) and spend-
ing a lot more time here in Grant
County as the restrictions are being
lifted and as we move toward a
November election,” Raschio said.
Jim Carpenter said he expected
the contest to move into the general
election in November.
“It’s always unlikely that one will
get 50-plus-1% of the vote. And so
my objective has always been to get
through May, and look forward to
November,” he said.
Grant County Clerk Brenda
Percy said Wednesday there are 12
ballots with challenged signatures,
20 ballots with no signatures and
one ballot she is aware of coming
from another county. She said bal-
lots with signature problems can be
corrected until June 2.
“The election must be certified
within 20 days after the election so
until then the results are unofficial,
but I do not expect any of the unoffi-
cial results to change,” she said.
The 24th District covers Grant
and Harney counties.
In Grant County, Raschio
received 52.2%, followed by Car-
penter with 38.5% and Lamborn
with 9%.
In Harney County, Raschio
received 41.9%, followed by Lam-
born with 30.6% and Carpenter with
27.2%.
In uncontested Grant County
races, incumbents were reelected:
County Assessor David Thunell
received 98.6% of the vote, County
Commissioner
Jim
Hamsher
received 92.1% and County Sur-
veyor Michael Springer received
99%.