PORTLAND, Ore. — A Multnomah County judge handed down a stiff sentence on Friday for a series of violent crimes that started with the shooting death of a Portland man.
Marshawn Edwards, 27, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 52-and-a-half years.
In September 2021, Edwards walked up to the Silver Dollar Pizza Company at Northwest 21st Avenue and Glisan Street and started shooting into the bar area.
Inside, 34-year-old Jacob Knight-Vasquez, an innocent bystander, was shot in the back and killed. Two other men were injured in the late-night gunfire.
Court documents indicate he had just walked into the bar moments before Edwards walked by and began shooting indiscriminately into the restaurant with a gun in each hand. Edwards never entered the bar and ran away as he continued to fire shots.
Edwards also committed other violent crimes before his arrest six months later.
Before the judge issued her sentence, Knight-Vasquez’s sister spoke with great emotion about the immense loss she and her family feel.
“Holidays were filled with joy; they've now turned to painful reminders of our loss of Jacob because he was always at the heart of our celebrations, and he's no longer with us, so that void is very deep,” said Wendy Vasquez-Osborn.
Vasquez-Osborn came to Portland shortly after his murder to share his story and encourage rips in the then-unsolved case. She said her brother Jacob was the youngest of eight children, and the two were especially close.
“Jacob was not just my brother; he was my heart before I actually had children. His absence has really dimmed the light in our lives. Jacob was a remarkable individual, radiating life and love,” she said.
On the advice of counsel, Edwards did not address the court. His defense team indicated they would be filing an appeal in the case.