Greetings and welcome to the latest edition of the Washington County DA’s Office newsletter!

I hope you and your families enjoyed a wonderful holiday season and a great start to 2024. As you can read in this newsletter, we have been busy here in the DA’s Office as we pursue our mission of seeking justice and protecting our community.

In this edition, you can read about several recent high-profile cases that resulted in guilty verdicts, including a murder trial, a racially motivated assault case, and a threatened school shooting case.

On a positive note, we are happy to report that the federal government awarded the DA’s Office a new $530,000 competitive grant to support our DA’s Cold Case Unit. Those funds, along with a prior grant, have allowed investigators and prosecutors to continue to pursue justice, no matter how much time has passed. We have already cracked one cold case from the 1980s and are actively investigating several more.

In more positive news, we are thrilled to announce that our key partner, the Family Justice Center of Washington County, has purchased a building in Hillsboro where it will expand its services to support not only victims of domestic violence but also victims of child abuse. 

If you are interested in helping to support a safe community, the past few months provided several opportunities. In October we joined with community members to be part of the 8^th annual Building Bridges of Understanding event in Tigard. In November, we joined with community members in Hillsboro to be part of the first annual “Run for Hope” 5k as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

As the weather (hopefully) turns warmer over the next few months, stay tuned to our social media channels for information about upcoming community events!

I wish you and your families a safe and happy new year!

Shaun Edwin Maki Guilty on All Counts in Murder Case

HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 17, 2023, a Washington County jury found Shaun Edwin Maki guilty of Murder, three counts of Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and two counts of Criminal Mistreatment in the First Degree. Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeff Lesowski and Deputy District Attorney Bryce Bissinger prosecuted the case against the defendant before Judge Oscar Garcia. 

The defendant, age 53 at the time of the attack, lived with the victim, his father, age 77 at the time, at a home on NW 185th Ave. in rural Washington County near Bethany. The victim was in poor health, was thin and frail, and was suffering from the onset of dementia. On March 1, 2018, the defendant became angry with his father and violently attacked him with a wooden shovel handle. The assault left the victim with a brain bleed, multiple broken bones, and lying in a pool of his own blood. 

The next day, the defendant took the time to clean the shovel and to drive to multiple stores to purchase his preferred type of beer. When he finally called 9-1-1, he told operators that his father had hit himself with a stick. First responders were horrified by what they found when they were dispatched to the home on March 2, 2018. They rushed the victim to the hospital where he spent the next two days in a coma. He died in June of 2018 as a result of his injuries.

The defendant later told investigators that he and his father were the only people in the home at the time of the attack and that he waited so long to call for help because he was worried about the cost of an ambulance. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of Detective Brad Verboort and the Washington County Sheriff's Office on this case, as well as the firefighters and paramedics of Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.

Mr. Maki will be sentenced later this month.

Family Members Plead Guilty in Racially Motivated Assault

HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 9, 2023, Raymond Andrew Hanners pleaded guilty to Bias Crime in the Second Degree and Assault in the Third Degree. His co-defendant, Damion Leigh Sherk, pleaded guilty to Assault in the Third Degree. Both defendants were sentenced by Judge Theodore Sims. Mr. Hanners was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and ordered to submit to anger and mental health evaluations and no contact with the victim. Judge Sims ordered a 30-day jail sanction if he violates his probation conditions. Mr. Sherk was also placed on three years of supervised probation, ordered to submit to an anger evaluation, and sentenced to 10 days in the Washington County Jail. Deputy District Attorney Christina Luedtke prosecuted this case.

Mr. Hanners and Mr. Sherk are family members and lived together at an apartment complex in Tigard, Oregon. The victim was their neighbor. On October 10, 2022, the victim, who is African American, parked his car at the complex and began walking into his apartment. Mr. Hanners stood on his front porch and attempted to provoke the victim by directing racial slurs towards him. The victim approached Mr. Hanners to ask why he was speaking to him in this manner. At that point, Mr. Sherk ran out from inside the apartment and began assaulting the victim. Mr. Hanners joined in the attack which continued throughout the parking lot. Bystanders eventually intervened and called law enforcement. 

Mr. Hanners admitted to officers that he used racial slurs leading up to the assault. The incident was also recorded by security cameras. The assault left the victim with multiple injuries. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting all members of our community from hate and bias. This office leads the Washington County Bias Crime Multidisciplinary Team (MDT). The MDT consists of members from law enforcement agencies and community partner organizations from across Washington County. Victims of bias crimes are urged to report incidents to law enforcement so that they can be properly investigated and prosecuted. Victims can also utilize the Bias Response Hotline operated by the Oregon Department of Justice. 



The Washington County District Attorney’s Office also acknowledges the work of the Tigard Police Department on this case. 

Washington County Man Sentenced in Federal Court in School Shooting Threat Case

HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 16, 2023, Braeden Richard Riess was sentenced for the federal felony crime of Interstate Communication of a Threat. U.S. Chief District Court Judge Marco A. Hernández sentenced the defendant to the seven months he served in the Washington County Jail, ordered him to participate in a mental health treatment program, and required the defendant to serve three years of federal supervised release.



In May of 2022, a federal agency alerted the Sherwood Police Department that it received threats via its website from the defendant. Mr. Riess threatened to shoot children at an elementary school in Sherwood and said he would commit suicide after the shooting. Mr. Riess was arrested and authorities notified parents at the school.

The case was originally referred to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. On May 17, 2022, the defendant was arraigned on six counts of Disorderly Conduct in the First Degree, the maximum available charge under Oregon law. However, because Oregon law does not provide sufficient means to address threats of mass violence, this office reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to refer the case for federal prosecution. 

Oregon law does not provide adequate means to address threats of mass violence to public places such as schools or places of worship. District Attorney Kevin Barton has worked with Representative Courtney Neron and multiple other state lawmakers over the years to remedy the issue. In 2020, DA Barton collaborated with lawmakers to craft HB 4145 which sought to close this gap in Oregon law. However, despite broad support, that bill did not become law. In 2023, DA Barton worked with lawmakers to craft HB 3035, but that bill also did not become law. 

Currently, DA Barton and Representative Neron are working on another bill to bring this issue once again before the legislature in the upcoming 2024 legislative session. DA Barton encourages concerned community members to contact their respective state lawmakers to voice their support for a legislative fix to this issue.

“I am grateful for the assistance in this case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office to keep our Washington County community safe,” said District Attorney Kevin Barton. “Now we must ensure that lawmakers act without delay to fix the gap in Oregon law so that we can send a clear message that threats of mass harm to locations such as schools and places of worship will not be tolerated.”

The office wishes to acknowledge the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon for its willingness to take on this case. This office also thanks the Sherwood Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and Sherwood School District for their efforts to keep students safe and parents informed. 

DA's Office Recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Throughout October, the Washington County District Attorney's Office joined our community and law enforcement partners in honoring Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

We participated and helped plan the first annual Run for Hope in Hillsboro. Hundreds of community members came out to participate in the family-friendly 5k walk and run to show support for survivors of domestic violence.

Check out a video recap of the community event below!

Staff members also participated in Wear Purple Day to help raise awareness of domestic violence in our community.

Washington County District Attorney's Office Secures $533,200 in Grant Funding to Support Cold Case Unit

HILLSBORO, Ore- On Wednesday, October 3, the Washington County Board of Commissioners voted to accept $533,200 in grant funds from the United States Department of Justice. The grant, “Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA,” will support continued efforts to prosecute cold cases with DNA evidence. This is a competitive grant award intended to increase the capacity of state and local prosecution offices to address violent crime cold cases.

The District Attorney's Office was awarded a similar grant in 2020 enabling the creation of the Cold Case Unit. The Cold Case Unit is operated in partnership with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. That initial funding helped investigators identify a suspect in a 1988 homicide. The case remained unsolved until this office used DNA evidence to identify Robert Elmer Atrops as the suspect. Mr. Atrops has since been arrested and charged with Murder in the Second Degree in the death of his estranged wife. 

“We are very pleased to be awarded another federal grant which allows us to pursue justice for victims of crimes, no matter how much time has passed,” said District Attorney Kevin Barton. “The Washington County DA’s Office Cold Case Unit has shown incredible progress in the last three years, and we look forward to working to solve more cases with this additional grant funding.”

In 2020, this office conducted a review of all cold case homicides to identify their potential to be prosecuted with additional investigation. Of the 43 identified cases dating back to 1968, at least 14 contain DNA evidence. Additionally, there are potentially hundreds of unsolved sexual assault cases over the decades that contain DNA evidence. This office is confident many of these crimes can be solved. 

This grant award will allow this office to continue working on resolving cold case homicides by funding two part-time investigators, one part-time forensic consultant, and other associated expenses through September 30, 2026. This grant also supports the unit’s work to inventory and investigate additional cold case violent crimes including sexual assaults. We are hopeful that through these efforts, victims will receive the justice they deserve, the community at large can receive a sense of resolution and those who committed these crimes can finally be held responsible. 

Click here to watch the story from Fox 12.

Site of Future Family Peace Center of Washington County Identified

Over the past four years, District Attorney Kevin Barton has worked with a coalition of area leaders to establish Oregon’s first co-located child abuse and domestic violence center.

That goal is one step closer to reality with the purchase of a new building that will be the future site of the Family Peace Center of Washington County.

The Hillsboro NewsTimes covered this exciting development. Click here to read more about the effort to develop the Family Peace Center.

Registration Now Open for 4th Annual Oregon Diversity Legal Job Fair

Candidate registration is now open for the 2024 Oregon Diversity Legal Job Fair!

Current or aspiring attorneys, paralegals, and legal support professionals will have the chance to interact with dozens of employers from across the state.

Taking place March 6, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the virtual job fair aims to help diversify the legal field to best serve our communities!

Visit www.ODLJF.org to learn more and to register for the free event. Be sure to monitor the Oregon Diversity Legal Job Fair Facebook and LinkedIn pages for future updates.

DA's Office Hosts Joint DEI Training with Community Corrections Department

We'd like to thank Washington County Community Corrections for joining our office in our annual diversity, equity, and inclusion training.

We shared portions of the Eradicate Hate Summit which stressed the importance of putting aside our differences to build stronger bonds within our communities.

We appreciate this partnership with Community Corrections and look forward to future training opportunities!

Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities Event Held at Muslim Educational Trust

District Attorney Kevin Barton is a founding member of the Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities summit. In October, he and several members of our office participated in the 8th annual event.

Hosted by the Muslim Educational Trust, the goal is to bring law enforcement and community members together to build and strengthen relationships.

This year's theme was "Confronting Bias Through Justice and Healing." Law enforcement organizations from across the area joined together as part of the Building Bridges effort to craft this summit. Experts shared their insight on hate crime prosecutions of all types.

You can learn more about this collaborative effort and future events here.

Attorneys Warn of Scams Targeting Older Adults

Have you ever heard of a romance scam? How about the grandparent scam or the tech support scam?

Unfortunately, criminals use all sorts of tactics to target victims, especially seniors. We met with residents at Avamere Living in Hillsboro to warn against these crimes and others like them.

If you know of a senior who is being abused, neglected, or taken advantage of, please call law enforcement. You can also find additional resources here.

Please email us if you'd like to request a presentation from our office.