Photo: KATU
26-year-old James Javontae Barquet made his first court appearance in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Wednesday.
Barquet is charged with two counts of aggravated murder with a firearm and one count each of robbery in the first degree with a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm with a firearm enhancement.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office released the following information about the court appearance:
On November 21, 2018, Barquet appeared before Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Christopher A. Ramras. He was appointed counsel and a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf to all of the allegations listed in the charging document.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Barquet, a convicted felon, used a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol to kill 70-year-old Carol Horner and 51-year-old Brian Hansen in Portland, Oregon.
Law enforcement located Ms. Horner’s body on November 19, 2018 at approximately 9 p.m. under the west end of the Morrison Bridge. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Ms. Horner’s death was the result of a single gunshot wound to the head, according to the probable cause affidavit. At the crime scene, law enforcement recovered a single .45 caliber shell casing near Ms. Horner’s body. The casing was silver in color and stamped with “SIG” and “45 AUTO.”
At approximately 10:45 p.m. on November 19, 2018, law enforcement responded to a gas station in the 400 block of West Burnside Street. According to the probable cause affidavit, a male subject, later identified as the defendant, entered the store and asked for a pack of cigarettes. As an employee started to process a sale, the defendant allegedly pulled out a handgun and ordered that the employee give him the cigarettes.
At approximately 12:30 a.m. on November 20, 2018, law enforcement responded to the mid-span of the Burnside Bridge and located Mr. Hansen. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Mr. Hansen’s death was the result of a single gunshot wound to the head, according to the probable cause affidavit. At the crime scene, law enforcement recovered a single .45 caliber shell casing. The casing was silver in color and stamped with “SIG” and “45 AUTO.”
The probable cause affidavit states that law enforcement reviewed surveillance video from the bridge that showed Mr. Hansen walking westbound across the bridge. The video shows that he is being closely followed by and individual wearing a hooded coat. The person wearing the coat was also pulling a wheeled suitcase and carrying a small bag. According to the probable cause affidavit, a flash consistent with the muzzle flash from a gun can be seen on the video. After the flash is caught on video, the subject who was following Mr. Hansen is seen running away towards downtown.
Law enforcement began efforts to locate the person seen on video fleeing from the Burnside Bridge. At approximately 3:30 a.m. on November 20, 2018, at Southwest 3rd Avenue and Southwest Pine Street, members of the Portland Police Bureau’s Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) located an individual matching the description of the person observed on the security footage, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Upon contacting the subject, law enforcement found the individual to be wearing a jacket and pulling a wheeled suitcase, the probable cause affidavit states. The subject, later identified as Barquet, was patted down and a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol was recovered from his waistband, the probable cause affidavit states. A search of the firearm, which was performed pursuant to a court-authorized search warrant, revealed that the gun was loaded with multiple .45 caliber rounds stamped “SIG” and “45 AUTO,” according to the probable cause affidavit.
The defendant’s next court date is scheduled for November 30, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. at the Multnomah County Justice Center, Courtroom 3.
A charging document is only an accusation of a crime, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.