Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt today announced that a Multnomah County judge sentenced Robert Arthur Plympton, now 61, to life in prison for the 1980 murder of Barbara Tucker near Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham.
In early 2021, Plympton was identified via DNA that was found on Tucker’s body, and he was arrested in relation to her sexual assault and murder in June 2021. At a court trial, which concluded on March 15, 2024, Multnomah County Judge Amy Baggio delivered a guilty verdict on Murder in the First Degree. The verdict brought long-awaited closure to Tucker’s family and to the broader community on a case which had been cold for 40 years prior to Plympton’s identification.
Sentencing
On Thursday October 3, 2024, Plympton was sentenced by Judge Kelly Skye to life in prison with a minimum of 40 years to be served. He was immediately transferred into the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections, where he will remain for the duration of his sentence.