Elderly woman found dead in convict’s car trunk

UPDATE: Accused murderer also charged with heinous crimes. Read how this story went from a ‘missing person’ report, to a murder investigation, in outer East Portland …

For years, customers looked forward to seeing 89-year-old Marcine Herinck here, in the Hazelwood neighborhood, at the PACS thrift store, where she volunteered as a cashier.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

For years, Marcine Herinck lived in the Wilkes Community Group neighborhood, at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in the 1500 block of NE 150th Avenue, in the Summerplace development – a community for adults 55 and older.

Although the 89-year-old grandmother was said to have mild memory lapses, it didn’t stop her from volunteer at the Portland Adventist Community Services (PACS) thrift store on NE Halsey Boulevard – where she ended her last shift on September 18.

Family, friends and law enforcement members began searching for this woman, Marcine Herinck, soon after she was discovered missing. DMV/Family provided photos

When Marcine’s son, Jeff Herinck, went to check on his mother on the morning of September 19, he told reporters that he’d found the both the garage and front door open. Even more troubling, he told of finding inside a cup of cold coffee in his mother’s microwave; and, her purse, keys and cell phone on the kitchen counter.

At 10:51 a.m. that morning, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) put out a “Missing Persons” notification for Marcine Herinck, describing her as a “white female, 4’10” tall, 100 pounds, with white hair.”

“During the initial investigation into the disappearance of Ms. Herinck, no signs of foul play were located and a was search initiated,” reported PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Chris Burley.

“The Police Bureau requested assistance from Multnomah County Search and Rescue (SAR); and, during the search, investigators, family members, and volunteers searched the neighborhood near her home, as well as Glendoveer Golf Course, located just southwest of her home,” Burley said.

After Sunday services on September 23 at Crossroads Church, where Herinck regularly attended, members and friends solicited support, as they passed out and posted flyers along NE Glisan and Halsey streets.

At the PACS Thrift Store, managers check video surveillance recordings in an effort to provide officials with a suspect.

Learning of Herinck’s disappearance, PACS thrift store manager, Tim Vollbrecht, told reporters that he reviewed video surveillance recordings during her last shift, and made it available to detectives.

“On Monday, September 24, detectives located additional information that did suggest that foul play was involved in Ms. Herinck’s disappearance,” Burley noted.

Along SE Holgate Boulevard at 92^nd Avenue, officers stop a car driven by a possible suspect.

“Once this information was learned, detectives identified 58-year-old Timothy Joseph Mackley as a person of interest in the investigation,” Burley remarked. “During the investigation, officers stopped the Toyota Camry driven by Mackley near SE 92^nd Avenue and Holgate Boulevard, and located Ms. Herinck’s body in the trunk of the vehicle.”

After being taken into custody, Mackley was booked in to the Multnomah County Detention Center on September 25 at 7:33 a.m. on one count of murder.

Facing a charge of murder, a Class A Felony, is 58-year-old Timothy Joseph Mackley. MCDC booking photo

A records search shows that, in 1989, Mackley received a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of sodomy and sex abuse, and he was last on court-ordered supervision in 2012. As a result he was a registered sex offender.

At his arraignment, Mackley pleaded “not guilty” to the charge of murder, and was ordered to be held, without bail, until his next appearance in Multnomah County District Court in early October.

Meantime, Clackamas County is looking into his potential involvement in a recent similar murder, in which a woman’s body was found in the trunk of an abandoned car.

UPDATE:
On October 3, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced a grand jury returned a 23 count indictment against Mackley for his alleged involvement in the Marcine Herinck.

“The indictment charged Mackley with 13 counts of aggravated murder, one count of intentional murder, four counts of burglary in the first degree, two counts of kidnapping in the second degree, two counts of sexual abuse in the first degree and one count of abuse of a corpse,” revealed Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office Communications Director Brent Weisberg.

According to the indictment, on or between September 18 and September 24, 2018, Mackley did unlawfully and intentionally cause the death of Ms. Herinck in the course of, and as a result of, intentional torture and intentional maiming, Weisberg stated.

According to court documents, Mackley went into the victim’s home, where he kidnapped her and took her from one place to another without consent and with the purpose of terrorizing Herinck “and/or with the purpose of causing physical injury”, the documents said. It was further alleged that Mackley sexually abused the victim during the six day period when she was missing; and, finally, the indictment alleges that upon killing Ms. Herinck, the defendant intentionally removed and transported her remains.

Mackley is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment at 9:30 a.m. on October 4, at the Multnomah County Justice Center before Judge Angel Lopez. Mackley remains in custody at the MCDC on a “no bail” hold.

Anyone with information about the suspect or this homicide should contact Portland Police Bureau Homicide Detective Erik Kammerer at 503-823-0762 or Erik.Kammerer@portlandoregon.gov

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