Brentwood-Darlington shooting suspect charged with murder, bias crimes

Here’s the follow-up on an outer East Portland homicide that took place in the parking lot of a motel …

It wasn’t the January ice storm that closed down SE 82nd Avenue of Roses, by the Lents neighborhood; the thoroughfare was closed for a homicide investigation. East Portland News archive photo

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Few folks were out and about during the historic 10-day ice storm that swept across our neighborhoods in January; but on the 19th of that month a large contingent of Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct officers – as well as homicide detectives, and forensics examiners – huddled on SE 82nd Avenue of Roses where a male victim had died of a gunshot wound in the parking lot of the Dar-Ron Motel.

At the time, East Portland News covered this story. To read about it, and see our exclusive investigation video, CLICK HERE.

Not long after the murder, officials named 25-year-old Rametheus Clenese Hill of Fairview as the victim; the Medical Examiner revealed he’d died of a gunshot wound.

Near where a dead man was found after a shooting, officers began a homicide investigation at an 82nd Avenue of Roses motel. East Portland News archive photo

PPB officers guarded the crime scene, alert for victims near the scene of the crime. East Portland News archive photo

No arrests were made at the time. But, for months, PPB Homicide Unit detectives investigated the case – finding and analyzing evidence, interviewing witnesses, and following up on leads.

During that process, detectives learned the identity of the suspect for whom they were searching: 53-year-old Kirk D. Belgarde. Detectives also developed information that the shooting appeared to be a bias crime, as defined by law, and they sought a warrant.

This PPB Homicide Unit detective’s dogged investigation eventually turned up a suspect in the January shooting. East Portland News archive photo

On April 17th, the United States Marshal’s Service Fugitive Task Force arrested Belgarde on the arrest warrant. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) at 4:53 p.m. that afternoon, on a warrant for Murder in the Second Degree, Bias Crime in the First Degree, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Currently Belgarde is behind bars, without bail, in the MCDC.

Detective Brian Sims at Brian.Sims@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-2079, or Detective Meghan Burkeen at Meghan.Burkeen@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-2092 are still seeking more information in the case from anyone wioth knowledge of the crime. If you contact them, refer to Case No. 24-14609.

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