PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Police Bureau says it has solved a homicide case from the early 1980s, but the suspect is deceased.
According to the bureau, a witness interviewed by detectives from the cold case unit provided the key information that helped identify the suspect. Detectives then learned the suspect died in 2009.
The victim, 30-year-old Robert Lee Altom, died from head trauma in November 1982, after he was found lying on the ground outside a North Portland bar.
Witnesses at the time said Altom and another man had gotten into an argument at the bar. Police say it was over Altom’s sexuality and the suspect used a gay slur to describe Altom.
The victim’s niece, Dawn Frizzell-Luna, says her uncle was an amazing man and it’s good to know his name is no longer among the boxes labeled “cold case.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
