PORTLAND, Ore. — A homeless man who unleashed an unprovoked attack on two men in their 80s in June 2022 will spend the rest of his life in psychiatric custody after he was found guilty except for insanity on three felony counts.
Keffer White, who was 29 at the time of the attack, was convicted Friday on charges of second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and second-degree assault.
The attack happened June 25, 2022 in downtown Portland. According to Portland police statements, officers were responding to an unrelated call near the Portland State University campus at Southwest 5th Avenue and Southwest Hall Street when they stumbled upon an assault-in-progress.
Police said that White was punching and kicking two men, later identified as 82-year-old Donald Pierce and 88-year-old Edward Lichtenstein. Both men were hospitalized after officers intervened and took White into custody. Pierce died in the hospital less than two weeks later.
Witnesses and video evidence proved that the attack was unprovoked, and White continued to assault the men after they'd fallen to the ground.
White had a lengthy criminal history prior to the June 2022 attack, including 22 parole violations, four felony and three misdemeanor convictions that extended back 10 years. White had been homeless for about 13 years, according to court documents and a prior mental health assessment said that he'd been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and suffered from panic attacks.
After a bench trial Friday where White was convicted on all three counts, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Souede sentenced him to a lifetime commitment in the custody of Oregon's Psychiatric Security Review Board. The court found that White has a "qualifying mental disorder" and presents a substantial danger to others. He'll be housed at the Oregon State Hospital and won't be eligible for conditional release.
