The judge imposed three consecutive true life prison sentences
UPDATE:
Today, Multnomah County Circuit Court Michael Greenlick sentenced Brett Edward Pruett, 62, to three consecutive true life prison sentences without the possibility of parole. Today’s sentencing follows an October 6th verdict where a 12-person jury found Pruett guilty for the murder of three people.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Demer, Senior Deputy District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, and Deputy District Attorney Keegan Matosich represented the state in this case. They offered the following statement, “We are pleased that this sentence brings justice to the families of Mr. Hughes III, Ms. Cobb, and Mr. Murphy. While their loved ones can never be brought back, the families can have some peace knowing that the person who took their lives will be behind bars for the rest of his life. Our hope is that the families can now move more meaningfully forward in the healing process.”
The resolution of this case is thanks in part to many contributors. The DA’s Office wishes to thank the PPB detectives for their investigation, the victim advocates who worked with the families, and particularly the three victims’ families for their resilience throughout the case.
Pruett is currently in custody in Multnomah County and will be transported to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve his sentence.
#MCDA#
*Original Message (10/6/2023)*
Jury Finds Brett Pruett Guilty in 2020 Triple Murder Case
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt today announced that a Multnomah County jury delivered a guilty verdict for Brett Edward Pruett, 61, for the 2020 murder of three people in northeast Portland.
The trial took place in front of Judge Michael Greenlick from September 11 to October 6, with Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Demer, Senior Deputy District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, and Deputy District Attorney Keegan Matosich as prosecutors. The 12-person jury delivered the verdict today, finding Pruett guilty of:
- Eleven counts of Murder in the First Degree
- Four counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon
- One count of Burglary in the First Degree
- One count of Assault in the Second Degree
On July 17, 2020, Portland Police located three deceased victims in the 2500 block of Northeast 122nd Avenue in Portland. An investigation revealed that Pruett intentionally killed Elmer Edwin Hughes III and Tashia Heather Cobb outside, and that he then killed Lawrence Wayne Murphy inside the residence. Portland Police located and arrested Pruett on July 18, 2020.
In addition, on July 14, 2020, Pruett used a dangerous weapon to knowingly cause physical injury to an adult female prior to the triple homicide.
Pruett is currently in custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Greenlick on January 8, 2024.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office thanks the Portland Police Bureau for their assistance with this case.
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