Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt today announced that Bennett Miller, 25, was sentenced by a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge to life in prison for two counts of Murder in the First Degree in relation to the June 2023 double-homicide of Fortressen Oriakhi and Isidahomen Ikhuoria in Northeast Portland.
Case Facts
In the early morning hours of Friday, June 23, 2023, Portland Police Bureau officers in the area of NE Cesar Chavez Boulevard and NE Sandy Boulevard heard multiple gunshots in quick succession. A car determined to belong to Fortressen Oriakhi was found crashed into a utility pole nearby, and both victims were located inside the vehicle deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. Based on the physical evidence, witness statements, and the preliminary investigation of the crime scene, PPB concluded that the victims had been driving on NE Cesar Chavez Blvd when a gunman pulled up next to them at the intersection of NE Cesar Chavez and NE Halsey and fired 10 shots into the victims’ vehicle before fleeing the scene.
In the course of the investigation, PPB detectives were able to identify Bennett Miller as the gunman via witness interviews and phone records. Evidence showed his path of travel to be consistent with that of the suspect vehicle on the night of the murders, and Miller was found to co-own a 2018 Toyota Camry identical to the suspect vehicle witnesses reported seeing. A friend of his reported that two days after the incident, Miller had admitted to shooting two people in a car who he had mistaken for individuals with whom he had issues.
Plea and Sentencing
Senior Deputy District Attorney Nathan Vasquez and Deputy District Attorney Brad Kalbaugh represented the state in this case. A plea agreement was negotiated between the state and defense over the course of several months, with consideration of and in accordance with the wishes of the victims’ families. Sentencing took place this morning in front of Judge Eric Bergstrom, and Miller was sentenced to life in prison on two counts of Murder in the First Degree. Miller may request parole after he has served a minimum of 32 years. He has been transferred into the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections, where he will remain for the duration of his sentence.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the gravity of this offense, both for the friends and families of the victims and the broader community. During the course of this investigation, we learned that these two young men were incredible individuals and immense bright lights in this world. We extend our condolences to those still grieving the losses of their loved ones and express our appreciation for all who contributed to the resolution of this case. A special thank you to PPB Detectives Travis Law and Ryan Foote, and MCDA victim advocate Soukthavy Kanhalikham for their work on this case.