Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt today announced that James Calvin Smith, 59, was indicted and arraigned on charges related to the homicide of an employee at a group home in Gresham earlier this month.
In the morning of July 16, Gresham Police officers responded to McCarthy Place, which is a group home for adults with mental health care needs, after receiving a 911 call from a day-shift staff member. The staff member reported that she arrived for her 7 a.m. shift when she found a night-shift staff member deceased from apparent stab wounds. Upon arrival, officers observed signs of an apparent struggle in the common area and, based on other physical evidence and witness information, they identified Smith as the suspect and took him into custody.
Following the initial investigation, Deputy District Attorney Sean Hughey presented the case to the Grand Jury, which resulted in an indictment (filed July 24) on three charges:
- Murder in the Second Degree
- Unlawful Use of a Weapon
- Tampering with Physical Evidence
Smith appeared for arraignment today in front of Judge Christopher Ramras, where he entered a plea of not guilty.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office thanks the Gresham Police Department and the East County Major Crimes Team for their assistance in this case.
A charging instrument is only an accusation of a crime. Smith is innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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