Man found murdered in Lents home

Officials are looking for someone who shot and killed a man, and left his body in the basement of his grandparents’ outer East Portland home …

Just up a short dead-end street in the Lents neighborhood, police investigate a homicide.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

The house up the hill and just west of Foster Floodplain Natural Area on SE 110^th Avenue was up for sale; a real estate agent had just concluded an “open house” about 4:00 p.m. on February 28.

About an hour later, that house and property became a crime scene, when Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers and emergency medical responders were in at 5:06 p.m.

Detectives, investigators, and officers look for evidence along SE 110^th Avenue, after they find a man murdered.

“Officers found an adult male unconscious, suffering from a gunshot wound,” said PPB Public Information Officer Sgt, Pete Simpson.

“Officers and medical personnel arrived and were directed to the victim inside a home,” Simpson said. “Medical personnel confirmed that he was deceased.”

This person, as he appeared in a 2014 Oregon driver’s license photo, 48-year-old Gary Jay Baechler, is the man found shot to death in his grandparents’ house’s basement.

Neighbors said they learned that the victim, 48-year-old Gary Jay Baechler, was found in the basement of a house owned by his grandparents. They added that Baechler had been taking care of the 1.3-acre property since before it had been put up for sale.

Based on preliminary observations, Homicide detectives and Criminalists from the Forensic Evidence Division responded and conducted a death investigation, which is standard procedure for any death involving suspicious circumstances, Simpson said.

Images from his Facebook page show Gary Jay Baechler wearing his ABATE (“A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments”) Fall Ride T-shirt, and sitting on his motorcycle.

“The Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy today and determined that the victim died of multiple gunshot wounds,” Simpson revealed the following day.

Police continue their investigation at the crime scene.

“There is no suspect information at this time, and detectives are asking for the public’s help for information in this case,” Simpson added.

Anyone with information about this incident should contact Detective Erik Kammerer at 503-823-0762, erik.kammerer@portlandoregon.gov; or, Detective Mark Slater at 503-823-9319, mark.slater@portlandoregon.gov.

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