Travel trailer occupant found dead in Lents

UPDATED: Officials are saying little about this outer East Portland death, which Portland Police detectives are calling a possible homicide, which took place in an area popular with street campers …

This area of the Lents neighborhood, a long block east of SE 82nd Avenue of Roses and north of Foster Road, has long been an area attracting unsanctioned camping.

By David F. Ashton

On Thursday evening, February 20, paramedics on a medical call in the Lents neighborhood came across a deceased male inside a travel trailer parked across the street from the Knights of Pythias Ivanhoe Lodge No. 1, on SE 84th Avenue just south of Insley Street.

When Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct officers, who were dispatched at 9:12 p.m., arrived at the trailer, they confirmed both the death and the “suspicious circumstances”. So far these circumstances, which apparently were not subtle, have not been revealed to the news media.

Inside the travel trailer at the corner, first paramedics – then police officers – and finally Homicide Unit detectives, gathered investigate a possible murder.

The PPB’s new Mobile Command Unit arrives and parks on SE Insley Street, to serve as the office for PPB Homicide Unit detectives and crime scene investigators.

The PPB Homicide Unit detectives were quickly called in to investigate.

“Based on initial findings of detectives, this incident is being considered to be a homicide investigation,” a PPB spokesperson confirmed to reporters. “The cause and manner of death will be determined by the medical examiner at a later time.”

So far, no arrests have been made.

After the Medical Examiner removed the dead man, the travel trailer was towed away by a wrecker.

UPDATE

Officials say it was this man, 37-year-old Jeremiah S. McKenzie was the homicide victim in this incident.

On February 24, the PPB revealed that the victim had been identified as Jeremiah S. McKenzie, 37, of Portland. The Medical Examiner determined McKenzie died of homicide by gunshot wound.

If you have information about this incident, contact Detective Matt Brown at Matthew.Brown@police.portlandoregon.gov (503) 823-0859 or Detective Ryan Foote at Ryan.Foote@police.portlandoregon.gov 503-823-0781 – and reference Case No. 25-45489.

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