PORTLAND, Oregon – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that a 12-person jury in Multnomah County found Reza Chehrazi Mardani, 68, guilty on seven counts:
- Murder in the Second Degree
- Attempted Murder in the First Degree
- Assault in the first degree
- Two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon
- Aggravated Abuse of an Animal in the Second Degree
- Animal Abuse in the First Degree
Mardani inherited a property in the area of Northeast Killingsworth Street and Northeast 74th Avenue that was previously owned by his brother. The victims in this case also resided on the property and lived separately from Mardani in an RV. They had been given permission to live on the property by Mardani’s brother, prior to his death in 2018. After his brother died, Mardani told the victims to leave the property, and unsuccessfully attempted to have them removed on multiple occasions. In January 2019 Mardani shot both victims on the property. The male victim and the couple’s pet died at the scene. The female victim initially survived her injuries but died from complications as a result of her gunshot wounds in March of 2021.
Two separate firearms were used in the shooting. The first firearm jammed, which led Mardani to use a second to shoot all three victims. When Portland police arrived at the scene, the male victim was covered in a tarp in the yard of the property with a rock on top to prevent the tarp from blowing away. The female victim lay wounded in the RV. The dog was deceased in the RV. Surrounding neighbors reported hearing gunshots and screaming. One neighbor observed Mardani dragging a tarp to the area of the property where the male victim was later located. Multiple witnesses heard Mardani state his intention to kill the pair if they continued to live on the property and made other disparaging comments about the victims. Text messages showed that Mardani was seeking to purchase firearms in the months and weeks leading up to the shooting. One of the firearms was later recovered at the property, and further tied Mardani to the crimes.
“The evidence points to only one man. The only reasonable explanation here is also the obvious one. The defendant had a clear motive to kill the victims in this case. He wanted them gone. His actions were reprehensible and have had a ripple effect on two families. When you take a life, the impact extends far beyond that person. I am grateful to the jury for their thoughtful verdict and believe that justice was served today,” Senior Deputy Melissa Marrero stated.
Sentencing for Mardani will be scheduled at a later time.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office thanks the Portland Police Bureau and former detective and Special Agent Vincent Cui for their work on this case.
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