Man slain outside Centennial strip club

Here’s what we’ve learned about how the life of a 26-year-old ended on an outer East Portland sidewalk …

SE Start Street is completely closed off, when a man is found murdered outside a Centennial neighborhood strip club.

By David F. Ashton

As a thick layer of fog and smoke enveloped outer East Portland, shots rang out, and 26-year-old Edward L. Taylor Jr. fell to the sidewalk at 1:54 a.m. on November 15, just north of the Dream On Saloon. The address was 15920 SE Stark Street.

Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct officers began to gather at the scene, as many callers to the 9-1-1 Center reported gunshots in the area.

“Officers found an adult male down on the sidewalk on the north side of the establishment; emergency medical personnel arrived, and determined that the man was deceased,” reported PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Chris Burley.

Police and detectives arrive to begin their investigation.

The scene was “somewhat chaotic” Burley told reporters, as patrons poured out of the strip club, hopped into cars, and quickly departed.

“Officers canvassed the area, and found evidence of gunfire in the parking lot,” Burley said. “Officers searched for suspects associated with this shooting; but at this time, none have been located.”

For hours, SE Stark Street was closed down between 157th Avenue and 162nd Avenue, as members of the PPB Detective Division’s Homicide Detail, criminalists from the Forensic Evidence Division, a member from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, and another from the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, all arrived at the scene of the homicide.

Police are asking for help in solving the murder of 26-year-old Edward L. Taylor Jr.PPB supplied DMV photo

Later that day, Burley revealed the identity of the deceased, adding, “Based on information learned during the autopsy, a member of the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office determined Edward Taylor died from homicidal violence as a result of gunfire.”

Anyone with information about Edward Taylor or this incident should contact Portland Police Bureau Homicide Detail Detective Mark Slater at 503-823-9319, Mark.Slater@portlandoregon.gov; or Detective Erik Kammerer at 503-823-0762, Erik.Kammerer@portlandoregon.gov.

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