GUILTY OR - Renee Sandidge, 59, Portland, 7 June 2014

[ClaireNC]

Wow, very strange story. I am surprised it is not getting national media attention.

This article makes a little more sense than earlier reports. http://www.kgw.com/news/Portland-woman-missing-under-suspicious-circumstances-262305121.html

It sounds like somebody became concerned about Ms. Sandidge and requested a welfare check. When police arrived, they found booby traps and evidence that a possible murder had taken place in the house. So they called in the SERT (Special Emergency Response Team) to disarm the "security features" and homicide detectives to analyze the possible murder scene. The SERT had to tear apart the house and trailer in order to gain access because of the booby traps so the detective could investigate the possible murder.

I fear that Ms Sandidge was murdered by the homeowner, who had some kind of psychological breakdown and then probably went on the commit suicide.

 

[Elainera]

Or the other way round Claire? Ms Sandidge murdered the homeowner?

 

[ClaireNC]

Or the other way round Claire? Ms Sandidge murdered the homeowner?

From the article below, it sounds like it was the homeowner that did the murdering. He is reported to be a "survivalist". With the over the top security features, it sounds like he was overly obsessive about it. Taking the whole "survivalist" thing to the extreme. That, to me, sounds like mental illness. He is likely delusional and paranoid.

On the other hand, Ms Sandidge is reported to have drug and mental health problems, too. It sounds like she provoked him for a long time and he finally snapped.

There are a lot more details in this article: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/06/portland_police_state_police_c.html

Homicide detectives were called to the house at 3934 N.E. 66th Ave. on Saturday morning after the homeowner's teenage daughter had seen something suspicious in the backyard.

The 15-year-old girl reported to her mother, who was not at home at the time, that she saw her father dragging something under a tarp, possibly a body, and carrying bleach, officers and neighbors said. The daughter also reported hearing moaning and didn't venture inside the house, neighbors said.

 

[Elainera]

You're most probably right, Claire. Also, if she murdered him, where's his body? She's not a tall, strong woman, 5'2, 100 pounds. I doubt she hauled him away.

 

[Elainera]

Just read the whole article Claire linked to. This is one messed up story, so much tension and hate it seems. Very sad. I'm just glad the daughter, wife, and their dog are all ok.

 

[DayLea]

From the article below, it sounds like it was the homeowner that did the murdering. He is reported to be a "survivalist". With the over the top security features, it sounds like he was overly obsessive about it. Taking the whole "survivalist" thing to the extreme. That, to me, sounds like mental illness. He is likely delusional and paranoid.

On the other hand, Ms Sandidge is reported to have drug and mental health problems, too. It sounds like she provoked him for a long time and he finally snapped.

There are a lot more details in this article: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/06/portland_police_state_police_c.html

Wow, that article! So, am I following this correctly? Long standing feud between landlord and tenant...landlord's daughter comes home in the AM after her father was alone for the evening, sees him dragging what appears to be a body through the backyard, calls mom who calls police...police show up and put a great deal of effort into ousting the landlord from the residence, tearing it apart only to learn the landlord isn't there...and there's no sign of tenant either, who, according to earlier reports, was seen leaving the area on foot, despite what this article states about her recently needing a cane or walker to get around...? Sound right?

 

[OkieGranny]

Yep, pretty much.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

The more clear the details become, the worse this looks for Renee.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Body found at home after 3-day search

The body of a woman considered missing by Portland police was found on the property of a Northeast Portland home that forensic detectives have been at since Saturday.

Officials said a positive identification is pending an autopsy, but they believe it to be Renee Sandidge-Crowell.

[snip]

The 61-year-old man is now wanted for murder, and is being sought by investigators.

http://koin.com/2014/06/10/body-found-at-home-after-3-day-search/

 

[Elainera]

I don't understand - it took detectives 3 days to find her on the property? Was she buried, cemented in somewhere?

ID pending means she wasn't recognizable ...

So sorry Renee! Rest in Peace now.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

It also could be just a confirmation thing. LE rarely comes out and says "it's them" right after the body is found. Usually they say they are fairly certain, but it will be confirmed at autopsy.

Or, I hate to think it, but the detectives also could have accidentally done something. There were "loud bangs" and the property was quite literally torn apart and "heavily damaged".

Either way, it's sad. I hope they find Gary quickly so he can be held accountable. Assuming he's still alive.

Rest in peace, Renee.

 

[Redux]

There are a lot more details in this article: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/06/portland_police_state_police_c.html

Snipped by me. From the above....

Sandidge, neighbors said, struggled with drug and mental health problems and was antagonistic toward the homeowner and nearby residents. Portland police had been called to the house repeatedly in recent months, so it wasn't so odd for neighbors when they learned of the latest police activity, they said. Last November, a friend of Sandidge's had died of a heroin overdose in the home, according to residents and police records.

"Police had been here so many times,'' neighbor Jyl Smith said.

"Gary was trying to get Renee out. She was Section 8. He couldn't get rid of her. He had hired a lawyer, a private investigator,'' Smith said.

This was a volatile situation just waiting to explode.

I once had a house I decided to rent out. A woman who wanted to rent asked me to apply the house for section 8. I remember looking into it and thinking it was just not worth it. If you have a good tenant, fine, but if you end up with a bad tenant, it can be very hard (or at least it was at that time) to get them out.

I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to not be able to get someone removed from the property that you own, that you paid for, that you worked hard for. And then to be living right there upstairs from that person, having to deal with it every single day...

And that poor daughter, she'll be traumatized for life.

 

[ClaireNC]

Renee was a troubled soul, may she now rest in peace.

Police are not giving many details but this article has a bit more:
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/06/possibility_of_booby_traps_in.html

The search was delayed because of the potential booby traps and she was found on the property, but not in the house or the trailer.

 

[OkieGranny]

The landlord has not yet been apprehended:

http://koin.com/2014/06/11/neighbor-daughter-saw-dad-with-tarp-carrying-bleach/

Tom Manwell, who lives in the neighborhood, told KOIN 6 News he saw Sandidge-Crowell alive and well in the driveway of the home early Saturday morning.

“She seemed like her normal self, a litte bit yelling and crazy,” Manwell said. “That’s the way she normally was, though. She was always like that”...

Authorities are not saying where the woman’s remains were found, but neighbors pointed out a backyard shed where they said police cut out the walls.

 

[OkieGranny]

Just read an article about about a traffic stop gone wrong in SE Portland, but no ID of the deceased driver has been released. I wonder if it's the landlord.

http://www.kptv.com/story/25750426/shots-fired-after-traffic-stop-in-milwaukie

Anyway, there's a $1,000 reward out for him now:

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Police-find-womans-body-on-property-landlord-wanted-for-murder-262629091.html

 

[sashasnout]

Very well could be the landlord - interesting comment under article from someone claiming to live next to the driver that was shot.

Just read an article about about a traffic stop gone wrong in SE Portland, but no ID of the deceased driver has been released. I wonder if it's the landlord.

http://www.kptv.com/story/25750426/shots-fired-after-traffic-stop-in-milwaukie

Anyway, there's a $1,000 reward out for him now:

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Police-find-womans-body-on-property-landlord-wanted-for-murder-262629091.html

 

[ClaireNC]

The landlord has been arrested: http://www.kgw.com/news/Renee-Sandidge-Crowell-Gary-Alan-Lewis-portland-murder-262942661.html

 

[OkieGranny]

A week late with this, but the last bit is especially interesting:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/06/northeast_portland_man_accused.html

A Northeast Portland man accused of killing his tenant with blunt-force trauma to the head -- then hiding her body in a wall -- appeared in Multnomah County Circuit Court for the first time Friday.

Gary Alan Lewis, 61, wore a suicide smock as he heard the charges against him: Murder and unlawful use of a weapon in the death of Renee Suzanne Sandidge, 59, on Saturday...

Judge Judith Matarazzo ordered that Lewis have no contact with his wife or daughter, and asked if he understood. Lewis answered clearly with a “Yes.”

 

[sophiebelle]

It's a shame this woman didn't move out and away from the Lewis house. If she was ranting to others, and still stayed there, maybe there was mental issue with her. It's just horrible. I wonder who in his family supported him at the hearing. Surely not his wife and daughter!

 

[OkieGranny]

http://koin.com/2014/07/08/alleged-killer-charged-with-abusing-womans-corpse/

A Multnomah County grand jury issued an indictment this week accusing a 61-year-old homeowner of abusing the corpse of woman he murdered.

The indictment against Gary Alan Lewis includes one count each of murder, second-degree abuse of a corpse, felon in possession of body armor, and unlawful use of a weapon. Details of the new charges have not been released, but under Oregon law, a person commits second degree abuse of a corpse when they intentionally abuse a corpse or disinter, remove or carry away a corpse.

Lewis, through his attorney, entered a not guilty plea to the entire four-count indictment.