May 24, 2024
Today, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Eric Dahlin sentenced Phillip Lawrence Nelson, 42, to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 35 years for the 2020 fatal stabbings of Najaf “Nate” Hobbs and Cassy Leaton. The sentence follows an April 26th verdict where a jury found Nelson guilty of one count of Murder in the Second Degree (victim Cassy Leaton) and one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree (victim Najaf Hobbs). Judge Dahlin imposed a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years for the murder of Ms. Leaton and a consecutive 10-year sentence for the murder of Mr. Hobbs, meaning Nelson will be eligible for consideration of parole after 35 years.
MCDA recognizes the families of both of the victims and hopes that today’s sentencing allows for some closure and for the healing process to continue. MCDA would also like to thank the PPB officers and detectives who worked this case, in particular Detective Rico Beniga.
Nelson is currently in custody in Multnomah County and will be transported to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve his sentence.
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*Original Message (4/29/2024)*
Jury Finds Phillip Nelson Guilty of 2020 Double Homicide
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt today announced that a Multnomah County jury delivered a guilty verdict for Phillip Lawrence Nelson, 42, for the 2020 fatal stabbing of two people in Northeast Portland.
Incident
On June 16, 2020, at 3:44 p.m., Portland Police officers responded to a report of a stabbing in the 1400 block of Northeast Davis Street. Officers arrived and located two victims – Najaf “Nate” Hobbs, who died at the scene, and Cassy Leaton, who later died at the hospital. The suspect – later identified as Phillip Lawrence Nelson – had fled the scene before officers arrived.
On June 18, 2020, PPB located and arrested Nelson. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center, where he has been held ever since.
Trial & Verdict
The trial took place in front of Judge Eric Dahlin from April 8-26, with Deputy District Attorney Rachna Hajari and Senior Deputy District Attorney Amanda Nadell as prosecutors. The 12-person jury delivered the verdict on April 26, finding Nelson guilty of:
- One count of Murder in the Second Degree (victim Cassy Leaton)
- One count of Manslaughter in the First Degree (victim Najaf Hobbs)
Sentencing is scheduled for May 24 at 9 a.m. in front of Judge Dahlin.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office thanks the Portland Police Bureau for their assistance with this case.
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