PORTLAND, Ore. — A 21-year-old Portland man is accused of stomping a homeless man to death about an hour after committing another violent assault in Portland's Old Town neighborhood on Feb. 13.
Elijah Williams is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 46-year-old James "Tony" Wise. He's also charged with second-degree assault and third-degree assault for the prior attack.
A neighbor told investigators he was inside his fourth-floor apartment near Northwest Third Avenue and Glisan Street when he heard someone yell, "no, stop" around 4 a.m. He looked down and saw someone using a fence to pull himself up as he repeatedly stomped on Wise, and proceeded to punch and kick him on the ground, a probable cause affidavit said.
Another man reportedly went through Wise's pockets and covered him with a blanket before police arrived on scene.
Wise was transported to Legacy Emanuel hospital where he was declared brain dead. He passed away on Feb. 15.
The attack occurred right outside the Blanchet House, a nonprofit which provides food and other services to the homeless community, the affidavit said. Wise had been receiving services from the nonprofit for about a year.
"Some of our residents were woken up by the assault," said Scott Kerman, executive director of the Blanchet House. "They witnessed it from their bedroom windows. They could certainly hear it and they were really upset. They were very traumatized by this."
About an hour earlier, around 3 a.m., police learned there was a separate assault near the corner of Northwest Second Avenue and Everett Street, a couple blocks away from the Blanchet House.
Police said Williams and an unidentified man attacked the driver of a white Mercedes who had just parked near the intersection. A witness said he heard one of the men say the driver had "something of theirs in his car," the affidavit said.
Officers found the victim in the driver's seat of the Mercedes with blood on the side of the car. Police said he had severe trauma to the face and his shirt, and his head and lap were covered in blood.
Based on witness statements and video surveillance, police were able to identify Williams as a suspect in both attacks. Police said his shoes were bloody from the first attack before he fatally assaulted Wise.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that Williams had been on probation and living in transitional housing in downtown Portland after being convicted of first-degree sexual abuse of a 6-year-old boy in 2015. Williams was 15 and attending Centennial High School at the time.
Williams was released from MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Marion County just four months before being charged with murder.
He was taken into custody near Southeast 140th Avenue and Stark Street on Feb. 19.
Editor's note: The above video attached to this story aired on Feb. 17, 2022.