June 15, 2022
Elisabeth.Shepard@nullmcda.us
Elisabeth Shepard, Communications Director
DA Mike Schmidt announces life sentence for Jon Hughes, 55, for murder with gun
PORTLAND, Oregon – Today Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that Jon Allen Hughes, 55, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 300 months by a Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge. Hughes was found guilty of Murder in the Second Degree with a Firearm, Unlawful Use of a Weapon with a Firearm, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm by a 12-person jury on May 18, 2022, along with co-defendant Shawn Kevin McGinnis, 59. McGinnis was found guilty of Murder in the Second Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. McGinnis will be sentenced on June 22, 2022.
On November 10, 2017, Hughes and McGinnis arrived at a Southeast Portland residence, both carrying loaded firearms. The owner of the residence was McGinnis’s girlfriend. The victim, Robert “Cody” Kaiser, also lived in the home. McGinnis believed that Kaiser was having an affair with his girlfriend. The two had other previous conflicts.
After arriving on November 10, Hughes approached the side door of the residence with a 30/30 rifle while McGinnis, armed with a pistol, yelled at the front door that he would burn the house down if the occupants did not come outside. When Kaiser exited the side door, Hughes shot him once in the chest, killing him almost immediately.
“I’m most struck by how unnecessary this was: there was no reason for Mr. Kaiser to be killed. The Defendants came to his home and shot him to death when he came outside. No prison sentence can bring back a loved one, but justice was served today on behalf of Mr. Kaiser.” Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Sean Hughey stated.
“We are so grateful to the members of our community who delivered justice for Mr. Kaiser by showing up and telling their harrowing story in court. Our hearts go out to Mr. Kaiser’s family, who can never be made whole, but may feel some relief that our system provided the right result for this indefensible crime,” Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Mariel Mota stated.
For monthly updates on firearm-related prosecutions, you can visit the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office Gun Violence Data Dashboard. The dashboard is searchable by date, location, and charge. It also tracks demographic information about victims of gun violence.
The Multnomah County District Attorneys’ Office thanks the Portland Police Bureau for their work on this case.
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