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PORTLAND, Ore. — A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the fatal stabbing of Deante Watts in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood last year.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Marshall sentenced Jesse James Herold on Tuesday after convicting him of second-degree murder. Under Oregon law, Herold will be eligible for a parole board review after serving 25 years.
Watts, 32, was killed on the morning of Jan. 12, 2024.
According to prosecutors, Herold stalked Watts for several blocks after he left Blanchet House, a nonprofit that provides meals and services in Old Town. At approximately 7:45 a.m., Herold attacked Watts under the Steel Bridge on Southwest Naito Parkway, stabbing him multiple times.
Herold was later arrested in Bellingham, Washington. Six weeks after the killing, a Portland detective interviewed him. During that interview, prosecutors said, Herold admitted to stalking and stabbing Watts and provided details that corroborated the investigation.
According to court records, Herold told police he changed clothes after the attack, receiving free clothing from someone distributing items from a car. He also said he disposed of his bloody jacket in a portable toilet.
Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Demer, who prosecuted the case along with Deputy District Attorney Sam Wilton, said the sentence brings a measure of accountability.
“Mr. Watts was only 32 years old when he was murdered,” Demer said after the sentencing. “His family worried about him knowing that he was houseless and struggling while living on the streets. I hope the anguish and heartache that this family went through is softened by knowing that Mr. Herold received the maximum possible sentence.”
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office credited the Portland Police Bureau’s Homicide Detail for its work on the investigation, specifically Detectives Sean Macomber and Eric McDaniel. The office also recognized its victim advocates for providing support to Watts’ family throughout the case.
Herold will remain in custody serving his life sentence under the supervision of the Oregon Department of Corrections.
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Jordan Vawter
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