Today Keffer White was found to be guilty except for insanity on all three indicted charges for the June 2022 killing of Donald Pierce, 82, and the assault of Edward Lichenstein (who was 88 at the time) in downtown Portland: one count of Murder in the Second Degree, one count of Attempted Murder in the First Degree, and one count of Assault in the Second degree.Â
As a result, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Souede sentenced White to a lifetime commitment to the Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB). Per the court judgment, White is affected by a qualifying mental disorder, presents a substantial danger to others that requires commitment to the Oregon State Hospital (OSH), and is not a proper subject for conditional release. He will be transported to OSH under the jurisdiction of the PSRB.
The charges stem from an incident on the evening of Saturday, June 25, 2022. A group of people were waiting for the bus in the area of Southwest 5th Avenue and Southwest Hall Street. Witness reports and video surveillance allege that White approached the group and began talking to them. When they did not respond, he began to yell and made fun of them for being elderly. White became increasingly aggressive. He approached one man in the group, Edward Lichenstein, 88 at the time, and began attacking him, including headbutting him and shoving him to the ground.
White then turned to another person in the group, Donald Pierce, 83 at the time, who was holding a cane for balance, and pushed him into the street and on to the ground. Once on the ground White kicked Pierce in the head and face area several times. White subsequently continued attacking Lichenstein who was attempting to get away. Pierce also attempted to get up and White returned and attacked him again by kicking him in his head.
