Portland police identified the man killed after a brutal confrontation with another man at an encampment on Hayden Island last week as Richard Lee Bowers.
Medical examiners determined Bowers, 57, died by blunt force trauma, police announced Friday.
Officers responded to reports of a body at 11:30 a.m. on June 26 and arrived to find Bowers dead on the west end of the island. Detectives arrested 68-year-old Timothy L. Hudson in the killing, and he faces allegations of second-degree murder and second-degree assault, court records show.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Hudson told police that Bowers punched him in the eye the day before and, in response, Hudson went “too far.”
Hudson said he had lived at an encampment in the area for five years and agreed recently to let Bowers and his partner stay in a spare tent he had set up, court records show.
Hudson said the three had been drinking alcohol for several hours on June 25 when Bowers punched him. Bowers apologized, and Hudson told police he didn’t immediately fight back. The situation devolved after Hudson kissed Bowers on the head in forgiveness, and the two got into a physical altercation, according to court records. Hudson told Bowers’ partner to call 911 and to leave the encampment after the incident, the affidavit said.
She called 911 around 9:40 p.m. to report that Bowers was injured, documents show. Portland Fire & Rescue responded and scanned the shore by boat. They ran into Hudson, who refused medical help and walked away, records show. Firefighters did not find Bowers and left the scene.
A person called 911 about 11:30 a.m. the next day and said Hudson had told him he was in a fight the night before and killed another man. The caller said Hudson went back to his encampment. Police and sheriff’s deputies found Hudson and located Bowers’ body. Officers arrested Hudson.
Police found a hammer near one of the tents, court records show.
A medical examiner found Bowers had suffered extensive injuries, including a broken neck and fractured skull, according to the affidavit.
His death marked the 17th homicide in the city this year. Since then, one other person has died in a homicide following a fatal shooting outside of the Central Library in downtown Portland.
— Austin De Dios covers Multnomah County politics, programs and more. Reach him at 503-319-9744, [email protected] or @AustinDeDios.
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