Effective March 19th, 2020, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office will be temporarily making additional modifications to our public safety services:

All Sheriff’s Office Facilities:

• Enhanced cleaning efforts in high traffic areas.
• To reduce preventable foot traffic in our facilities, we’re requesting community members who are conducting business with the Sheriff’s Office to avoid bringing unnecessary companions with them into the building.

Law Enforcement:

• Patrol deputies are being asked to take social distancing measures if possible when handling calls for service; some non-emergency calls will be handled by phone only.
• Over the next month, there will be an enhanced law enforcement presence within our county including our Enhanced Service District and contract cities.
• Local agencies have been asked to exercise their discretion and consider issuing citations in lieu of taking persons into custody for crimes which are not A or B felonies, Measure 11, require a mandatory arrest, or constitute a significant risk to our community.

Marion County Jail:

• All general visits with adults in custody at Marion County Jail are canceled; professional visits will be limited to non-contact attorney booths.
• Increased medical screening for custodies being brought to Marion County Jail prior to being admitted into the facility.

Community Corrections:

• Community Corrections deputies are continuing to complete client meetings and check-ins, relying on technology and the lobby of our Public Safety Building.  Additional contacts with clients will be performed out in the community when feasible.

These updated modifications to services are in addition to those previously announced on March 13th.  Those temporary changes included postponement of community meetings, events, volunteer programs at the jail, citizen ride-a-longs, and tours of Sheriff’s Office facilities.

As we work together as a community and take measures to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 outbreak, your team at the Sheriff’s Office appreciates the stressful time this is for our friends, family, and community as a whole.   The women and men of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office encourage all of our community members to stay up to date on the latest public health information related to COVID-19 by visiting the Marion County Health & Human Services website at: https://www.co.marion.or.us/HLT/Pages/COVID-19.aspx.

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On Saturday, March 14th, 2020, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Crooked Finger area in rural Marion County after a Subaru Legacy belonging to person reported as missing was found on a logging road.  The caller reported they initially saw the Subaru parked about three weeks earlier in the same place and were concerned when it was still there when they returned on Saturday.  The vehicle’s owner, William Tracy, 46, had been reported as missing to Silverton Police on February 21st, 2020. 

Marion County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue was activated and began a coordinated search of the area where the vehicle was found, approximately 8 miles south of Scotts Mills.  On Sunday afternoon searchers located Mr. Tracy’s body at the base of an embankment.  Investigators believe Mr. Tracy’s death was accidental as the result of a fall off of the embankment.  Due to the remote location of the deceased, searchers were not able to safely bring the remains out of the wooded area until Monday morning.

While Mr. Tracy’s death is tragic, it may also serve as a reminder to be well prepared before traveling to outdoor areas.  The Marion County Sheriff’s Office would like to offer these safety tips when hiking or traveling outdoors:

• Plan ahead, let friends or family know where you are going and when you should return
• Dress in layers, weather conditions can change
• Have extra food and water in case you become lost or stranded

We would like to thank the many volunteers who serve on the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team for their continued commitment to our community.  During this mission we were assisted by Search and Rescue personnel from the Linn County and Polk County Sheriff’s Offices.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is actively collaborating with public health professionals and public safety partners to ensure we are prepared to maintain public safety services for Marion County.  As a precaution to protect our staff and ensure we continue to fulfill our core function of keeping our community safe, our team will be adapting our services to focus on essential public safety needs. 

Applying the best practices and recommendations related to reducing the spread of COVID-19, the Sheriff’s Office will be postponing community meetings, attendance at community events, volunteer programs at the jail, citizen ride-a-longs, and tours of Sheriff’s Office facilities effective immediately.  Our team at the Sheriff’s Office appreciate the strong connections we have with our community members and will work to resume these activities at our earliest opportunity. 

Internally, the women and men from the Sheriff’s Office have taken steps to maintain the health and well-being of our staff and the adults in our custody.  We will continue with these efforts and will follow the guidance from our public health professionals to make informed decisions as we maintain services in Marion County.  We encourage our community members to ensure they are getting up-to-date information about COVID-19 from Marion County Health & Human Services at: https://www.co.marion.or.us/HLT/Pages/COVID-19.aspx.

We take pride in our ability to maintain key public safety services to Marion County throughout this evolving situation. 

Marion County Sheriff’s Office is releasing the following information pursuant to ORS163A.215, which authorizes Community Corrections to inform the public when the release of information will enhance public safety and protection.
The individual who appears on this notification has been convicted of a sex offense that requires registration with the Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, this person’s criminal history places them in a classification level which reflects the potential to re-offend. This notification is not intended to increase fear; rather, it is our belief that an informed public is a safer public. 

NAME: Ellison, Nick Jay
SID#: 21960566
DOB: 01/07/1987
CURRENT AGE: 33

RACE: W                   SEX: M
HEIGHT: 5' 10''          WEIGHT: 195lbs
HAIR: BRN                EYES: BLU

RESIDENCE: 14002 MARION ROAD SE, TURNER, OR 97392

Nick Jay Ellison is on Post Prison Supervision for the crimes of: CORRUPTION OF A CHILD I, LURING A MINOR, LURING A MINOR

This person was granted supervision on: 02/14/2020
Supervision expiration date is: 02/13/2023

Special restrictions include: [X] no computer    [X] no minors     [X] no internet     [X] no places where minors congregate
Other: victim pool includes minor unknown females and minor known males

New Hires and Promotions

On March 9th, 2020, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office held it’s quarterly awards and swearing in ceremony.  The ceremony is our opportunity to formally welcome new employees, recognize promotions within the organization, and highlight noteworthy achievements by our team.  In total, twenty-seven members of the Sheriff’s Office received formal recognition.

Three employees were sworn in as deputy sheriffs; Michelle Stoltz – Community Corrections, Justin Sanne – Enforcement, and Brian Danielson – Institutions.  We welcomed Katherine Mood, Facility Security Specialist 2, to the Institutions Division, and Sadie Haynes, Support Services Technician, to the Operations Division.

Deputies Jordan Juster and Andrew Lynch were promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the Community Corrections Division.  Within the Enforcement Division, Deputies Jason Bernards, Andrew Derschon and Scott Kometz were promoted to the rank of Sergeant.  Deputies Jared Miller and Steve Jochums were promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the Institutions Division.  Three civilian employees were promoted during the ceremony; Peggy Lowery – Sr. Office Manager with Community Corrections, Lori Robinson – Code Enforcement Officer with Operations, and Celene Garcia Ceja – Support Services Technician with Operations.

Several awards were issued during the ceremony, including Life Saving Awards, Distinguished Service Awards, and a Community Service Award.

     Life Saving Award: Deputy Nate Morse

     Life Saving Award: Deputy Corey Larned, Dispatcher Alexis Morse – Willamette Valley Communications Center

     Life Saving Award: Deputies David Dietz, Jessica Van Horn, Caleb Mott, Shawn Connelly, Stacy Rejaian

     Life Saving Award: Sr. Deputy Tom Crofts, Sgt. Jason Bernards

     Distinguished Service Award: Sr. Deputy David Watkin & Sgt. Kristin Knutson

     Distinguished Service Award: Sgt. Kristin Knutson – Enforcement Division

     Community Service Award:  Dave Hanus  - Search & Rescue        

Following the ceremony, Sheriff Joe Kast said, “The women and men of the Sheriff’s Office recognized today exemplify what it means to serve our community.  Their commitment to service and our community makes Marion County a better place to live.”  The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has 357 full-time employees, provides law enforcement services to nearly 1,200 square miles and a population of over 347,000. 

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On March 4th, 2020, emergency crews responded to the report of a single vehicle driving into the Willamette River at the Wheatland Ferry, just north of Keizer.  During the initial response the day of the incident, emergency personnel were unable to locate the vehicle in the waterway.  Marion County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue coordinated recovery efforts, leading to the recovery of the vehicle the following day.  The driver of the GMC Terrain has been identified as Jeanie Sandall, 56, of Dayton.  The deceased driver was the only occupant of the vehicle.

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Marion County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue resumed efforts this morning to locate a vehicle which was driven into the Willamette River at the Wheatland Ferry shortly after 4:00 pm on March 4th, 2020.  With the assistance of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Water Rescue Team and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol, the vehicle was located submerged in the water with the lone occupant still inside. 

The involved vehicle, a GMC Terrain, has been removed from the Willamette River.  Investigators have tentatively identified the deceased driver of the vehicle.  The circumstances leading up to the vehicle being driven into the water are still under investigation.

Along with the vehicle from yesterday’s incident, two additional unrelated vehicles were located in the water.  Both vehicles were unoccupied and appeared to have been underwater for an extended period of time.  Due to the challenging location in the waterway of the other two vehicles, at this time there will be no efforts undertaken to remove them from the river.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the numerous agencies which took part in the search and recovery efforts.

********************Original Release from 03/04/2020****************************

On March 4th, 2020, at shortly after 4:00 pm, emergency crews were dispatched to the report of a SUV that drove into the Willamette River at the Wheatland Ferry, just north of Keizer.  Prior to emergency crews arriving on scene, the vehicle was completely submerged in the water.  Witnesses at the scene reported only seeing one person in the vehicle when it entered the river.  At this time the vehicle has not yet been located and the identity of the driver is unknown.

Efforts to locate the vehicle have been suspended for the night due to the darkness, the recovery operation will resume tomorrow morning.  During recovery efforts, the Willamette River Boat Launch on Matheny Road will be closed.  Search crews do not anticipate disrupting traffic using the Wheatland Ferry during search operations..

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office was assisted during initial search operations by the following agencies; Marion County Public Works, Keizer Fire Department, Keizer Police Department, Salem Fire Department, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, Lake Oswego Fire District, Woodburn Ambulance, Oregon State Police, Oregon State Parks Department, and Life Flight.

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This morning residents in a portion of the North Fork recreational area in the Santiam Canyon began receiving test notifications from the Everbridge system as part of a large exercise being coordinated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue. In addition to the Everbridge notification, volunteers went door to door in the area and surveyed residents about their level of preparedness to evacuate in the event of an emergency, such as a wildfire. The Everbridge system is used to relay important emergency information to traditional home phone lines; for mobile, email and text alerts residents need to visit the following link to opt-in to notifications https://www.metcom911.com.

Coordinated efforts to improve emergency preparedness for events such as wildfires in the Santiam Canyon area are excellent opportunities for participating agencies, as well as residents, to assess their true level of readiness to respond to an emergency. Residents were able to receive valuable information about the Firewise USA program which focuses on helping residents to prepare and protect their homes from wildfires.

The multi-agency effort included many community partners and has taken over a year to plan. We would like to thank the following agencies for the participation in today’s exercise; Oregon Department of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, Stayton Fire District, Lyons Ambulance, Marion County Emergency Management, and Metcom 911.

For more information about Firewise USA please visit https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firewise-USA.

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On February 27th, 2020, deputies recovered the body of a deceased male which was found in the Willamette River near the Buena Vista Ferry.  Investigators have been able to positively identify the deceased male as Alexander Crocker, 26, from the Albany area.  In December of 2019, Crocker was reported to the Albany Police Department as missing after not having contacted family since late November.  An autopsy was conducted by the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office on February 28th, 2020, during which there were no signs of foul play discovered.  No additional media releases related to this investigation are planned at this time.

*****Updated Release from 2/28/2020*****

On Thursday, February 27th, deputies recovered the unidentified body of a male in the Willamette River near the Buena Vista Ferry. Following an autopsy conducted earlier today at the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, investigators believe they have tentatively identified the deceased person. In the coming days additional investigation will be done to confirm the identity, at which time the next of kin will be notified. The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank our community members for their efforts to help attempt to identify the deceased male.  No further information is available for release at this time.

*****Original Release from 2/27/2020******

On February 27th, 2020, at approximately 11:22 am a boater reported finding a partially decomposed body in the Willamette River near the Buena Vista Ferry.  Deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene to investigate along with emergency personnel from the Jefferson Fire District.  Marine Patrol and Search and Rescue Deputies were able to coordinate the recovery of the deceased by boat.  At this time it is unknown how long the deceased, an unidentified male, has been at the location.  Investigators are working to attempt to determine the identity of the deceased; an autopsy is scheduled for 10:30 am on February 28th at the State Medical Examiner’s Office.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have information about missing persons believed to have been in the area to contact Detective Bob Evarts at 503-588-8507.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office is releasing the following information pursuant to ORS 163A.215, which authorizes Community Corrections to inform the public when the release of information will enhance public safety and protection.

The individual who appears on this notification has been convicted of a sex offense that requires registration with the Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, this person’s criminal history places them in a classification level which reflects the potential to re-offend. This notification is not intended to increase fear; rather, it is our belief that an informed public is a safer public.

NAME: William Blizzard
SID#: 11749027
DOB: 7/22/1977
CURRENT AGE: 42

RACE: W               SEX: M
HEIGHT: 6’2”        WEIGHT: 190 LBS
HAIR: BRO            EYES: BLU

RESIDENCE: 1364 Tripp St SE #A, Salem, Oregon 97302

William Blizzard is on Post Prison Supervision for the crimes of: SODOMY I

This person was granted supervision on: 2/16/2012
Supervision expiration date is: 11/06/2023

Special restrictions include:                         [X] No contact with minors (male/female)
                                                                 [X] Sex Offender Treatment
                                                                 [X] Submit to Polygraph
                                                                 [X] Alcohol and Drug Treatment

Other: Blizzard’s victim pool includes adult males and females known to him.