HILLSBORO, Ore.- On September 15, 2022, a Washington County jury found Scott Patrick Phillips guilty of second-degree intimidation and telephonic harassment. On September 16, 2022, Judge Ted Sims sentenced the defendant to seven days in jail, two years of supervised probation and ordered he pay associated court fines. He also ordered the defendant to undergo mental health treatment, that he have no future contact with the victim, and barred him from using social media going forward. Deputy District Attorney Mahalee Streblow prosecuted the case against Mr. Phillips. 

The defendant and victim worked together briefly before their business relationship ended. The defendant became upset over a payment dispute and began harassing the victim. Mr. Phillips called, texted, and e-mailed the victim despite her repeatedly telling him to stop. The defendant threatened the victim and demanded payment from her. 

In 2019, the victim alerted law enforcement. She provided investigators with 30 voicemails left by the defendant. These messages were racist in nature and contained race-specific threats of violence. Deputies with the Washington County Sheriff's Office arrested the defendant without incident. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office is dedicated to protecting all members of our community. This office leads the County’s Bias Crime Multidisciplinary Team (MDT). The MDT consists of members from law enforcement agencies and community partner organizations. The team meets regularly to discuss and implement strategies to combat bias and hate crime, including trainings, education, and outreach events. To learn more about this effort, visit our website. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On September 8, 2022, a Washington County jury found Brian Daniel Bement guilty of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree robbery, and felon in possession of a firearm. On September 13, 2022, Judge Eric Butterfield sentenced the defendant to life in prison without the possibility of parole and ordered he pay a $20,000 fine to the victim's estate.  Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeff Lesowski and Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff MacLean prosecuted the case. 

On March 13, 2010, the defendant shot and killed the victim, Dr. David Greenspan, in a car parked at a cemetery just outside of Cornelius, Oregon. Investigators later learned that Mr. Bement ran an illicit drug-dealing business in Portland, and that the victim, who struggled with substance abuse issues at the time, had lent money to the defendant. Detectives determined financial and business disputes were motives for the killing, and that Bement took approximately $30,000 cash belonging to Mr. Greenspan after the shooting.

Mr. Bement was originally convicted of this murder in 2012 but the case was reversed by the Oregon Court of Appeals which ruled the original judge should have admitted more of the victim’s emails during the original trial. 

“By all accounts, Dr. Greenspan was a kind person who developed issues due to his addiction to drugs. He became involved with the wrong person and paid with his life” said DDA MacLean.  “The DA’s office never lost confidence in the defendant’s guilt.”

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office acknowledges the work of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Beaverton Police Department, and the Tigard Police Department on this case. This office also commends the cooperation of the various witnesses and law enforcement officials who aided in this trial.

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On September 2, 2022, a Washington County jury found Miguel Zambrano, age 39, guilty of first-degree sodomy, three counts of first-degree sexual abuse, and attempted using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct. Senior Deputy District Attorney Andy Pulver prosecuted the case before Judge Brandon Thompson. 

In October 2020, the victim wrote about the sexual abuse committed against her by the defendant in a journal and then showed a friend the various journal entries. Her friend convinced the victim to tell her mother. The victim’s mother notified police of these allegations. The victim was also seen by experts at CARES Northwest where she provided additional details on Mr. Zambrano’s actions. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office commends the victim in this case for the bravery shown throughout this process. This office also thanks the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and CARES Northwest for their work.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 4, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- Three district attorneys—Clackamas County DA John Wentworth, Marion County DA Paige Clarkson, and Washington County DA Kevin Barton— jointly sought and were granted amicus status to appear in federal court to address an issue that has significant public safety implications in communities across Oregon.

Disability Rights Oregon and Metropolitan Public Defenders have asked a federal court to supersede Oregon law and impose new rules and restrictions to address capacity issues at the Oregon State Hospital. (Disability Rights Oregon, Metropolitan Public Defender et. al. v Patrick Allen et. al. case no. 3:02-cv-00339-MO).

The new rules and restrictions drastically reduce the amount of time the Oregon State Hospital has to evaluate and treat defendants for their mental illness so they are fit to proceed to trial. This would result in a high number of defendants who have mental health challenges and are charged with significant crimes being prematurely discharged from the state hospital and released to the community. 

The court has, for now, granted the plaintiffs’ motion to reduce the treatment time periods, but has also granted the request by local counties and district attorneys to brief the matter further. The three district attorneys are taking this unusual step because the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon State Hospital, represented by the Attorney General’s Office, have indicated they do not oppose these new rules and restrictions.

“As district attorneys representing our communities, we are very concerned about this issue,” said Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton. “Because we believe the restrictions will have a negative impact on public safety, we felt compelled to act.”

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On August 25, 2022, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Ricardo Menchaca found Garth Patrick Beams guilty of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. On August 29, 2022, Judge Menchaca sentenced the defendant to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Deputy District Attorneys Rayney Meisel and Kate Glasson prosecuted the case against Mr. Beams. 

On July 19, 2018, the then 47-year-old defendant called 9-1-1 and reported he had “clobbered” his mother, later identified as 74-year-old Wendy Henson, with a baseball bat. He remained on the phone with dispatchers for the next 15 minutes detailing his many complaints about his mother. When asked whether he would provide aid to the victim, he indicated he was not interested in helping her. 

Tualatin police responded to the scene. They found Ms. Henson inside the home suffering from multiple wounds to her head. She was rushed to the hospital but later died from her injuries. 

“This was a cruel, unprovoked attack on a disabled, elderly woman,” DDA Meisel said in closing arguments, noting the killing was intentional and done out of frustration and rage. 

Ms. Henson is survived by her son, Michael Beams, who also lived in the home at the time of the attack. Mr. Beams provided powerful testimony to the Court as he delivered his victim impact statement.

“Garth’s crime shattered what was left of our family,” Mr. Beams told the Court. “There are only broken pieces to pick up. I feel stuck in a boxing match, fighting against bitterness and outrage.” He added, “In addition to dealing with the grief, moving out of the house was economically implausible for me. In a nasty twist of fate, every day, to this day, I have to walk past the location where [my brother] felled mom.”

Ms. Henson was a published author who wrote plays, novellas, and published a textbook during her time as a college screenwriting instructor. Her 2018 novella Honor Song was adapted from one of her award-winning screenplays. Ms. Hensen had a passion for the arts. She loved to talk about movies and the writing and actors that brought them to life. She had a reoccurring movie review column in Tualatin Life called, “Now Playing.”

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of Tualatin police and those involved in this investigation.