March 12, 2021
DA Mike Schmidt announces 216-month prison sentence in 2019 homicide
PORTLAND, Ore. – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that 19-year-old Jacob Cadle received a 216-month prison sentence for causing the death of 23-year-old Joshua Cermack.
In January, Cadle pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter in the first degree, one count of robbery in the first degree with a firearm and one count of attempted assault in the first degree.
Sentencing in this matter occurred March 10, 2021. The families of Joshua Cermack and the surviving victim are in support of this case resolution and were involved with the case settlement discussions.
This investigation started on December 31, 2019 when the Gresham Police Department located the body of Cermack in the driver’s seat of his pick up near the intersection of Northeast 188th Avenue and Irving Court.
Officers also located an injured person in the passenger seat of Cermack’s pickup.
Both victims had been shot multiple times. Cermack died inside his vehicle.
Detectives assigned to the East County Major Crimes Team interviewed neighbors, the surviving victim and searched social media accounts and cell phones located in Cermack’s pickup.
Detectives learned that the surviving victim had arranged to sell marijuana to an acquaintance named Zion Evans and someone who referred to themselves as “smokeboy” on Snapchat, later determined to be Cadle.
Law enforcement learned that Evans and Cadle formulated a plan to rob the surviving victim of the marijuana.
Based on evidence found at the scene, Evans and Cadle both fired into the vehicle.
According to court documents, after the shooting, Evans went back to his house and hid the gun under his bed. He then arranged to have the gun transported and sold out of state.
This case is being investigated by the Gresham Police Department and the East Multnomah County Major Crimes Team.
The surviving victim in this shooting does not want media contact. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office is requesting media refrain from contacting him.
Evans is charged with one count of murder in the first degree, one count of attempted murder in the first degree, two counts of robbery in the first degree and one count of assault in the first degree.
Evans’ case is currently pending trial, which is tentatively set for July of 2021.
A charging document is only an accusation of a crime. Evans is innocent unless and until proven guilty.
#MCDA#
Media Contact:
Brent Weisberg, Communications Director
Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office
Email: Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us